>And so, if low wages paid to museum workers result from our willingness
>to accept them, and we don't get sufficient raises because we are nervous
>about asking for them, then how do we break this cycle?

I'm trying desperately to break into this field and I'm a class and a thesis
away from my master's in education with a good bit of museum experience.
As a teacher, i'd start out making $32K (right outside of Washington DC)
but as an educational curator I'd be lucky to clear $25K.

I don't think this is because museums don't want to pay people what they
are worth and what for the work they actually do.  From what I've seen,
museums just flat out don't have the money to compete with other professions.
I see this is especially true with the smaller, locally funded museums like
all the little colonial houses in Alexandria and Mount Vernon.  From talking
to people in the Smithsonian, they are having problems with whole positions
getting cut let alone decent raises.  The big government furlough had a
friend of mine out of work for over a month.  But I will admit, the GS
payscales aren't too shabby just the cost of living in this area is incredibly
high.

>In the thread about unpaid internships, almost the same point was made:
>despite the fact that internships SHOULD be paid, there will always be
>willing people to take these things for free.  Why should I hold out for
>a larger salary at my next job if there is a ton of people behind me
>willing to take less?

But if we have no choice but to take an unpaid intership in order to get
experience for a field we really want to get into, people will do it.  The
National Zoo had 40 applications for 20 volunteer interpreter positions.
From what I've seen, there is major competition for even the piddly unpaid
grunt positions just to get a foot in the door.  In the words of one lady
I talked to she said, "Basically, I volunteered until I couldn't afford feed
my cat anymore and then I got this job."  Sad, but true.

Deb, the poor but willing to be employed.  :)