I agree that most salaries in the museum field do not compare favorably to
the corporate.  However, if museum professionals made a stand for better
salaries then danger is that volunteers (who have only the best interest of
the organization in mind) will be happy to take over.
This has always been a fear that rests in the back of my mind and I thought
I'd share.

Chris Gordy
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert T. Handy <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, April 16, 1998 3:51 PM
Subject: Re: JOB OPPORTUNITY: Museum Director, Golden State Museum


>But if our professional association were to create artificial shortages by
>"licensing" people or making us get "certified" we might cut out some of
>those who will work for any price and get our own salaries up some.  Why
>don't museuams pay as well as other industries.  We are, to a certain
>degree, part of the entertainment industry.  Can't we hype what we do to
>make it seem as important as a football or basketball game and thus worth
>$50.00 a ticket to get in.
>
>Before anybody climbs on me for being absurd, disregard the latter point as
>just that.  But there is a better place between what we get and what they
>get that we might reach by not resigning ourselves to mediocrity.  Look
>what school teachers have done in some parts of the country.  They are
>finally in a better place and, thanks to certain things happening around
>the country and the world, they are going to be in a much better place in
>the not too distant future.  We kind of fall into that group.  We just
>haven't organized yet.
>
>
>------
>Robert Handy
>Brazoria County Historical Museum
>museum_bob
>[log in to unmask]
>
>----------
>From:   Susan Wageman[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent:   Thursday, April 16, 1998 1:10 PM
>To:     [log in to unmask]
>Subject:        Re: JOB OPPORTUNITY: Museum Director, Golden State Museum
>
>At 09:37 AM 4/16/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>... there is a labor shortage in the
>>U.S.  Why not take advantage of it and strengthen our collective positions
>>by standing up.
>
>There may be a labor shortage in some professions, but not in the museum
>field. The reality is that museums (and other nonprofits) just don't pay as
>well as for-profit ventures that require similar experience and/or
>education. We are in a free market, here in the U.S. and in many of the
>other countries represented on this list. As long as museums can find good,
>qualified people who are willing to work for the pay offered, not much is
>going to change.
>
>Susan B.F. Wageman
>Grants and Research Manager                    (408) 279-7178
>The Tech Museum of Innovation                  (408) 918-0253 fax
>[log in to unmask]                          http://www.thetech.org
>