American Museum Of Natural History Workers Decide To Unionize

Gus Saltonstall
Updated ·2 min read

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Nearly 200 workers at the American Museum of Natural History took steps this week to form a union, according to paperwork filed Thursday.

The 184 workers at the world-famous Upper West Side museum are unionizing with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 37, which is New York City's largest public employee union.

It represents 150,000 members and 50,000 retirees.

The American Museum of Natural History did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

In terms of why the museum workers chose to unionize, one employee told Patch that COVID safety and full pay were among their top concerns.

"I think for all of us, top concerns were COVID safety, especially for visitor-facing staff, and issues of compensation and benefits," American Museum of Natural History employee and union member Alexandra Walling told Patch. "Many staff were on the extended furloughs at 80 percent of 60 percent pay for many months since the start of COVID."

The list of included American Museum of Natural History employees is a long one, but there is a subsect of museum workers who will not be part of the new union.

Excluded are managerial employees, supervisors, security guards, and confidential employees.

Multiple people on Twitter mentioned that they'd love to see the new union banner get dropped from the massive blue whale within the museum.

Here are all the regular full-time and part-time museum employees that will be part of the union:

  • Associate Directors

  • Educators

  • Staff Writers

  • Graphic Designers

  • Content Producers

  • Program Coordinators

  • Administrative Assistants

  • Conservation and Biology Coordinators

  • Coordinators

  • Managers

  • Museum Educators

  • Early Childhood Educators

  • Teaching Assistants

  • Earth and Planetary Educators

  • Physical Science Educators

  • Researchers

  • Outreach

  • Assistants to the Director

  • Financial Administrators

  • Senior Software Developers

  • Biodiversity Informatics Researchers

  • Biodiversity Scientists

  • Capacity Development Specialists

  • Biodiversity Scientists and Managers

  • Mentors, Biodiversity Specialists and Programs’ Coordinators

  • CBC Production and Outreach Coordinators

  • Visual Creative and Research Assistants

  • NCEP & CBC

  • Biodiversity Informatics Scientists

  • Post-Doctoral Fellows

  • Graduate Assistants

  • Doctoral Assistants

  • Business Managers

  • Librarians

  • Cataloging and Data Librarians

  • Collections Librarians

  • Sr. Research Services Librarians

  • Curatorial Assistants

  • Sr. Exhibition Researchers and Coordinators

  • Exhibition Assistants

  • Exhibition Explainers

  • Live Exhibits Coordinators

  • Guest Services Representatives

  • Guest Services Supervisor

  • Sales Associates

  • Lead/Retail

  • Sales

  • Retail Sales Associates

  • Lead Cashiers

  • Sales Support

  • Gift Shop Employees

  • CRS Representatives

This article originally appeared on the Upper West Side Patch