Guides raise union awareness at Tenement Museum fundraiser (hand out fliers regarding effort to orga

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.thevillager.com/villager_256/guidesraise.html

By Caroline N. Jackson

Decked out in 19th-century period costumes, part-time educators from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum descended on Chelsea Piers recently to educate attendees of the museum’s annual fundraiser about the museum’s resistance to their efforts to form a union.

Despite some challenges by officials from the sports and entertainment complex, the museum employees continued to hand out fliers regarding their almost yearlong effort to organize. The educators are basically guides who give tours of the museum while garbed in historically accurate clothing.


Villager photo by Maggie Koopmans

Lower East Side Tenement Museum part-time educators, clockwise from top left, H.R. Britton, Lethia Nall, Peter Wong, Max Weissberg, David Zydullis, Steve Flicker, Jes Whittet and Franklin Moreno.


“It was not really to protest. We were also passing out leaflets encouraging people to donate to the museum,” said Eden Schulz, recording secretary for Local 2112 who has been working with the educators. “We love this museum and want to see it grow and succeed.”

The museum has not fought the part-time workers’ efforts but has insisted since they first approached museum officials with their demands last May, that they go through the National Labor Relations Board. Going through the N.L.R.B. to unionize could take months or even years.

“It is not an ideal situation for a union and it is really kind of shocking that a place like the Tenement Museum would make this decision,” said Schulz.

The Tenement Museum employees would prefer to do a card count of employees who are for the union, which would be tallied by a neutral third party. Schulz said they have the support of a majority of the part-time workers. If they go through the labor board, the lawyers required would be expensive and the process lengthier, according to Schulz.

FULL story at link.

[skooooo]

1. a wonderful experience.

I was able to go to this museum last year. If you get a chance to go, don't miss it. It was so enriching to see the real-life circumstances of immigrants who worked in the garment business.

The guides, and the whole organization are great and very interested in the rights of workers everywhere.

[fairfaxvadem]

2. Went last August!

This is absolutely one of the best historical experiences I've ever had. I highly recommend it to anyone going to NYC or who lives there and hasn't seen it yet. A real American treasure.

On Edit, I forgot to add that I wish the employees all the best in their effort to unionize. Best thing that ever happened to me was to get involved in the labor movement. Union Yes!!