Wexner Center for the Arts employees win union election unanimously
A year after they organized to form Wex Workers United, employees of the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University won their union election in a unanimous vote, it was announced on Wednesday.
According to a press release, the union was legally recognized by the State Employee Relations Board and with AFSCME Ohio Council 8, a leader in helping museum and cultural workers statewide organize workplace unions.
On March 4, 2022, Wexner employees began a union campaign to make changes, advocating for a fair and equitable workplace, the right to negotiate for wages and benefits, and to have a voice in workplace issues like safety.
Wex Workers United circulated a community support petition that gathered nearly 1,300 signatures and submitted letters of support from elected officials including Columbus City Councilman Rob Doran.
“This is a huge victory for all of us at Wex Workers United. We are so excited about what this means for Wexner Center for the Arts employees and everyone that stood with us and believed in our goal to win our union. and make real change at the Wexner Center for the Arts," said Jo Snyder, a member of Wex Workers United and the center's learning and public practice programs coordinator.
"Employees deserve a seat at the table and the ability to make our workplaces safer, and more equitable. It's no longer just a line in a mission statement — we are ready to see it apply to everyone including Wexner Center employees.”
Snyder said efforts to unionize began casually in fall 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Wex featured "Julia Reichert: 50 Years in Film," a retrospective exhibit about the Ohio-based filmmaker who produced Sundance award–winner "American Factory" and "9 to 5: The Story of a Movement."
In January 2020, the Wex displayed LaToya Ruby Frazier’s photo exhibition, "The Last Cruze," about the General Motors plant in Lordstown that ceased production in March 2019.
These pro-labor exhibitions, along with Wex Workers United's diversity, equity, access and inclusivity work with the Racial Equity Institute in North Carolina, further motivated the employees to unionize.
The Wexner Center referred The Dispatch to OSU officials for comment.
"Wexner Center for the Arts staff are integral to the center’s mission, and we are grateful for their many contributions to arts and culture at Ohio State," Chris Booker, director of OSU's office of marketing and communications, said via email.
"We look forward to working with the 29 bargaining unit employees and their union representatives on current and future employment matters."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Wexner Center for the Arts employees win union election unanimously
