MOUNTAINVILLE — Workers in the two CSEA union bargaining units at Storm King Art Center (SKAC) are celebrating the approval of their first contracts.
Both workers and the SKAC Board of Trustees approved the two contracts in July following roughly eight months of negotiations.
The first CSEA bargaining unit (CSEA Local 720 – Unit A), formed last spring, represents the majority of full-time SKAC employees and several part-time workers. The second unit (CSEA Local 720 – Unit VS), which management voluntarily recognized not long after the first unit organized, consists of workers from SKAC’s Visitor Services Department.
“During contract negotiations, workers maintained the same solidarity they showed when they were organizing their union, and they now have two strong contracts to show for it,” said CSEA Southern Region President Anthony Adamo. “We hope that workers in other cultural institutions can look to the CSEA members at Storm King Art Center as proof that there is power in a union and there is no substitute for the stability that comes with a union contract.”
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regulations necessitated the separate bargaining unit for Visitor Services workers, but CSEA members at SKAC stand united.
“We see this first contract as a foundation we can build upon now that we have our union and the voice on the job that comes with it,” said Maureen Spaulding, a negotiating committee member from CSEA Local 720 – Unit A who works in SKAC’s Development Department. “Right away, we’re all benefiting from an immediate wage increase following our contract vote. Having that contract gives us a written guarantee for our wage increases, health insurance costs, and other benefits for the next several years. Before we organized our union, there were no guarantees year to year.”
Bam Bowen, negotiating committee member,
CSEA Local 720 – Unit VS
“A lot of work went into this process, starting from the ground up,” said Bam Bowen, a negotiating committee member from CSEA Local 720 – Unit VS who works as a team lead in that department. “From organizing staff to getting cards signed, every step was a collective effort. We sat at the negotiating table, stood up for each other, and persevered together. I am so proud to work with these incredible folks and am proud of all we have achieved. We now have a collective voice and a seat at the table.”
Both contracts contain economic gains for workers that more fairly compensate SKAC’s diverse staff members for their education, experience and expertise.
Non-economic strides were also significant, with the new contracts codifying some existing practices as well as implementing due process procedures and ‘just cause’ employment (versus ‘at-will’).
Between both bargaining units, there are approximately 75 CSEA-represented jobs in different departments including the administrative offices, Gift Shop, Facilities and Conservation, Education and Visitor Services.
Other gains benefiting both bargaining units include a guaranteed employer contribution to workers’ 403(b) accounts, minimum call-in pay (four hours for on-site call ins and one hour for remote work), cancellation pay for shifts canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice, pay for out of title work, and the addition of two days of paid time off.
Unit A’s contract runs through July 31, 2027, and Unit VS’s agreement ends July 31, 2028.
— Jessica Ladlee
