Public Employee Press

Met Museum members ratify contract

Local 1503 members at the Metropolitan Museum of Art recently ratified a new contract that provides seniority raises for lower-paid workers and lets everyone contribute more to their salary savings plan.

On Aug. 15, the union and the museum held a signing ceremony for the pact, which members approved June 9 in a 269-171 vote overseen by the independent American Arbitration Association.

“My experience is that it is unusual to get money in a working conditions contract, so we are very proud of this new deal,” Local 1503 President Robert Schirmer said. “We took a principled decision to help our less compensated members and we fulfilled our goal.”

“We believed bringing up the lower paid workers was more important than getting an across-the-board increase,” said Vice President John Mayers.

The contract doubles the five and 10-year seniority raises for Assistant Museum Maintainers, Cleaners, Sr. Special Officers, Sr. Supervising Security Officers, and Sr. Fire Safety Officers, who will now get $900 more at both anniversaries.

The contract also provides a new $750 seniority raise at their third anniversary for Sr. Supervising Security Officers, Sr. Special Officers and Sr. Fire Safety Officers. The raise recognizes the additional responsibilities of the workers, who have been making security checks outside the museum since the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2008, contract improves the 403(b) salary savings plan by allowing workers to increase their contributions and expanding the employer match.

The pact reduces weekend overtime for new hires for their first five years.

Besides Schirmer and Mayers, the bargaining committee included Recording Secretary Ron Boyer and vice presidents Sean Turner, Carlos Roman, Manus Gallagher and Veronica Clough. Boyer credited Dennis Sullivan, director of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept., for keeping the occasionally tense negotiations on track.