Public Employee Press

Museum workers win key job protections

The new working conditions contract of Museum Attendant Guards at the Museum of Natural History provides for improvements in overtime rights, promotional opportunities, sick leave and layoff protections.

The museum agreed to incoporate several longtime working conditions practices into the contract.

Members of American Museum of Natural History Local 1306 approved the agreement, which covers security and custodial positions, on Oct. 23. The contract lasts from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2016.

"Negotiating our working conditions contract with management was a long and tedious process," said Local 1306 President Will Vera. "We negotiated for nearly a year and in the end we were able to get our members a fair contract that we could be proud of."

Although a working conditions contract, the agreement increases career ladder differentials by $200. It also adds eight new positions to the career ladder.

The improved layoff protections for the local's 215 members require the museum to give 15 days notice of layoffs or pay in lieu of notice. Job openings will be offered to workers on the layoff list on the basis of seniority. Recalled workers who take a position in a different unit from their previous one will be allowed to return to the layoff list in senority order if the position does not work out in the first three months.

The contract incoporates new city sick leave provisions, which permit workers to use 40 hours of sick leave to care for a family member.

The museum will now provide workers with work-related clothing, including uniforms, fur trooper hats, winter gloves, hooded winter jackets and winter pants to workers assigned outdoors.

— Gregory N. Heires