Since March 6th, the 120 UAW 2110 members at MASS MoCA have been on the picket line as they demand wages that meet Berkshire County’s cost of living.
“We met with management last week, and they presented an offer that they presented up as their last, best, and final. We presented it for a membership vote on Tuesday with the recommendation that folks reject, the members reject the offer," said union rep Chelsea Farrell. “The vote itself is definitive in its own right. 94% voted it down- I think it was 101 to six, which is a commanding, commanding, vote and I think a strong message that it sends to management that their offer just- It didn’t do it.”
MASS MoCA’s offer included a minimum hourly wage of $17.25, a 3.5% salary increase, or equity increases ranging from 3.9%-14.29% retroactive to January 1st, 2024, as well as a one-time lump sum of $150,000 for the union to distribute. The museum maintains that the wages and timeframe demanded by workers would threaten its ability to operate as a nonprofit.
“Our members, frankly, are smart enough to know the difference between a one-time bonus and an investment into people's base pay rates," Farrell told WAMC. “The bonus, people see it as a direct influx of cash. But after that, it goes away. And in some ways, it actually almost incentivizes people to take the money and leave the organization. And frankly, we find that very insulting because folks, again, they love MASS MoCA, they want to work at Mass MoCA, they want to stay at Mass MoCA, and they want MASS MoCA to invest in them- And an actual decent pay increase into base shows staff that you are willing to invest in them.”
In response to the ongoing work stoppage, MASS MoCA will be closed on Monday and reduce its schedule to a five-day week through April, taking Wednesdays off, before fully reopening in May.
Despite a frigid week on the Marshall Street picket line, Farrell says the indefinite strike will continue with the ball back in management’s court.
“I think folks are remaining unified, they're remaining strong, and are still committed, even in the cold weather, to be out there every day, and continue chanting, continue sharing our message, and continue pressuring the museum,” she told WAMC.
For Mayor Jennifer Macksey, the ongoing dispute between management and labor at her city’s flagship cultural institution and major tourism magnet has gone on long enough.
“Quite frankly, I did think that the strike would be over by now," she told WAMC. "I was hopeful that both parties could come to some kind of understanding. I'm a little sad in that they haven’t. But I'm still hopeful that both parties could go back to the table and kind of meet in the middle, or find a reasonable end result.”
While other officials like city council Vice President Ashley Shade have spoken up on behalf of the workers, Macksey is attempting to remain neutral.
“I appreciate the right to strike, and I appreciate the right to demonstrate on behalf of their membership, but I really hope that the MOCA administration and the union can come together and settle this soon," said the mayor. "I'm saddened to see MOCA to have to reduce their hours, but I understand why they have to do that. And I also understand the position of the employees.”
For now, the second-term mayor will continue to be faced with the most visible labor dispute of her tenure leading North Adams.
“We want people to come here, and when they sometimes see a bunch of people standing outside a gate, they wonder why and what's going on, and when you see the signs, it kind of, you know, blocks off MOCA and impacts the visitors to MOCA," Macksey told WAMC. "But at the same time, the employees have their right to exercise this activity, and it also brings camaraderie within them. But at the end of the day, I think both the union and the city – the union and MOCA, rather – want the best for MOCA and the best for their staff. And I'm hopeful that they'll get there and get there soon.”
