Justice for Boston Children's Museum workers!

[Omaha Steve]

http://lnn.laborstart.org/more.php?id=841_0_1_0

Justice for Boston Children's Museum workers!

The Boston Children’s Museum (BCM) is widely known for its commitment to the children of Boston. But this Christmas, the president of the museum, Lou Casagrande is acting like a big Grinch to workers at the museum.

The workers at the Children’s Museum play a big role. They teach school programs, interact with the visitors, assist visitors in the exhibits and make the museum a clean and friendly place. They are highly valued by the visitors and the educators.

More than 15 BCM employees – mostly part-time, low-wage workers – were told on December 2 that their jobs would be terminated shortly after the holiday when the museum closes for multi-million dollar renovations and expansion.

Further, despite their experience at the museum, they were told they would not be guaranteed employment when the museum reopens.

The workers were well aware that the shut down would occur. But they were told over the summer they would be able to get jobs doing outreach while the museum was closed and be able to resume their old jobs when the museum reopened. Yet Museum publicity claimed, as recently as November,that the shutdown would have a “minimal impact” on employees.

The BCM is offering the workers a paltry $400 severance package but only if they show up every day they are scheduled until close. BCM workers were devastated by the news of their termination and are angry about how they were misled by management. These workers are not willing to just sit back and let the BCM ruin their holiday.

With your help putting pressure on the BCM, these workers can keep their jobs and continue to work to make the Children’s Museum a great experience for children and families.

Please, lend your support to these workers, and support their demands:

1) That the museum employ these workers for the duration of the renovations in community outreach programs to promote the re-opening of the museum, as they had been previously promised.

2) That all workers be automatically rehired in their current positions when the museum reopens.

3) If the museum refuses to provide employment for the workers during the renovations, the museum should pay a fair and decent severance package, more than a one-time payment of $400 to help workers after the closure. Workers are asking for $400 a month until the reopening.
Please make a phone call or send an email today and register a protest with management at the Boston Children’s Museum. Tell them, “Don’t be a Grinch!”

Make phone calls to:

Lou Casagrande
President
617-426-6500 x321

John Riordan
Vice President of Visitor Center
617-426-6500 x469

Send protest emails to [e-mail]

Please send copies of emails to [e-mail]

Thank you for your solidarity, for An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!

Happy Holidays!