Please find below the press release by PASTA-MoMA, UAW Local 2110,
regarding settlement of the MoMA strike. 

A press release by MoMA is available at
http://www.moma.org/docs/press/2000/fF_PO02,c8585,.htm.

Jenny Tobias
Associate Librarian, Reference
The Museum of Modern Art, New York


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2000

Victory for the MoMA Strikers
Union Achieves Security, Maintains Healthcare Benefits

Striking workers at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) ratified a contract
today that includes nearly all the demands made by the union when the
strike began, on April 28. A marathon, 15-hour negotiating session that
began at noon on Friday, September 8, yielded significant gains for the
Professional and Administrative Staff Association (PASTA), which is part
of Local 2110/UAW. "We're all really proud and relieved,"  observed Julia
Corcoran, a striking editor in MoMA’s Writing Services department. "It's
been a long struggle, but it's been absolutely worth it." The contract
lasts five years or until six months after the reopening of the newly
expanded museum (whichever is longer). Details of the agreement include: 

· Wage Increases:  
November 1, 1999 3% 
November 1, 2000 4% or $1,100, whichever is greater 
November 1, 2001 3.5% 
November 1, 2002 3.5% 
November 1, 2003 3.5% 

The same increases will be applied to contract minimums. Workers in the
lowest classifications will receive additional seniority increases.

· Union Security: A key issue in the strike was the union’s demand for a
standard union security clause. The contract will provide for an agency
shop. That is, each employee hired after September 9 "shall become a
member of the union and maintain his/her membership in good standing or
shall pay to the union the uniformly required agency fee."

· Healthcare: In the face of stiff opposition from management, the union
refused to waive its right to negotiate over changes to its healthcare
plan. The settlement states, "The Museum is obligated, prior to making any
changes to the health and welfare program, to negotiate in good faith with
the union over its proposed changes."

· Job Security: "Any employee laid off as a result of the upcoming
building project shall have recall rights until the full staffing level
for the reopening of the museum is reached…. The contractual severance
provision of one week for each year of service shall apply." Employees
with more than two years of service laid off as a result of the building
project may elect to waive recall rights and instead receive an improved
severance package.

· The new contract also includes improvements in retirement benefits,
childcare, tuition reimbursement, and dental care, as well as NYC
TransitChecks.

· Both sides agreed to withdraw any charges, litigation, etc.  that have
arisen in the course of the labor dispute.

· Temporary strike replacement workers (i.e., scabs) are to be terminated
immediately.

Jennifer Roberts, a striking worker from MoMA's Prints and Illustrated
Books department, said, "I can' t believe we won on every issue.  I' ll
have to change my outlook on life." The strikers celebrated the victory on
Saturday by marching with the UAW in New York City's Labor Day Parade.

Local 2110 President Maida Rosenstein said, "This is a great victory for
PASTA. It was a difficult strike, but these workers proved by their
endurance that unions for professional workers are forces to contend with.
Support from the labor and arts communities was essential,"  Rosenstein
continued.

An Open Letter to the Museum of Modern Art, signed by prominent artists
and directors including Steven Spielberg, Robert Rauschenberg, David
Byrne, Claes Oldenburg, Laurie Anderson, James Rosenquist, Martin
Scorsese, and Susan Sontag, was crucial in building solidarity with the
strikers. Support from union leaders across the state, as well as union
workers from a great number of industries, contributed to the victory. In
addition, a recent vote by the Manhattan Borough City Council Delegation
against a zoning variance necessary for the Museum’s building project
confirmed support from the political community. Pressure from a number of
high-profile politicians also made a difference. The twenty-week-long
strike officially ends Monday, September 11 at midnight. MoMA employees
return to work on Tuesday, September 12.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL UAW LOCAL 2110, (212) 387-0220 or MAIDA
ROSENSTEIN'S CELL PHONE, (917) 495-8492.

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