This last comment sparked a question that I have been meaning to ask --
how many of you are employed by or know of a non-profit or museum that
has a union for its employees?

The institution I work for has been presented with a petition from
employees to unionize -- an official vote is just weeks away.  Based on
the research I have done (unions, National Labor Relations Act, SEIU
local 46, etc.) -- a union would not be in the best interest of a
non-profit arts organization nor its employees.

What are some of your thoughts?

DeAnn Gould

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Ross Weeks [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Sent:   Tuesday, July 28, 1998 4:06 PM
        To:     [log in to unmask]
        Subject:        Re: The Value of an M.A. - $7.25/hr?

        I agree entirely with Elizabeth and some others.  Yes, museums
"ought" to
        try to pay more.  Many "ought" to learn to get by with fewer
staff, and pass
        the savings on to those whose positions are essential.
Hundreds can afford
        only one staff member, not always fulltime.  These are
wonderfully rewarding
        places for a professional to work.

        No, it's not simply a matter of trustees raising more money, as
someone
        suggested.  There are too many cultural organizations in most
communities
        competing for the same pool of philanthropy.  Yes, lots of our
most
        thoughtful trustees and donors COULD give lots more money.  So
could
        corporations.  They probably won't, and never have.

        To encourage museum people to organize, in the fashion of
dockworkers and
        coalminers,  as one writer suggested,  will simply shut many of
our
        institutions down.




        -----Original Message-----
        From: Elizabeth Stith <[log in to unmask]>
        Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
        To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
        Date: Tuesday, July 28, 1998 12:25 PM
        Subject: Re: The Value of an M.A. - $7.25/hr?


        >I really disagree with the idea that museums do not value the
degree - or
        whatever level of education - their employees have.  I do know
that funding
        always hase been and always will be problematic for all but a
rarified few
        of us.  It seems to me that in most museums staff are paid to
the best
        ability of the organization.  I have never experienced anything
else.  If
        people new to the field feel that starting salaries are too low
then I
        invite them to rethink their choosen careers.  I made a decision
many years
        ago that related to the quality of my life and one part of that
decision was
        an understanding that I was never going to make a fortune doing
what I want
        to do.  It's called life.