After nearly eight months of negotiations, workers at the Storm King Art Center signed their first contracts late last month. With these new contracts, workers are now guaranteed a more than 9% increase in average hourly wages and that employers will contribute to workers’ 403(b) retirement accounts. Other highlights of the contracts include a minimum wage for on-call shifts (four hours for on-site on-call shifts and one hour for remote work), lost pay for shifts canceled with less than 24 hours’ notice, pay for unassigned work, and two additional days of paid vacation, among others.
Formed in June 2023, the union consists of 75 people working in various departments and is part of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 1000, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The union is comprised of two bargaining units. One unit is part of CSEA CSEA Local 720 – Unit A, which was formed in the spring of last year and represents the majority of Storm King’s full-time employees as well as several part-time workers. The other unit, known as CSEA Local 720 – Unit VS, is comprised of employees in Storm King’s Visitor Services Department. Unit A’s contract is good through July 31, 2027, and Unit VS’s contract expires on July 31, 2028.
“A lot of work went into this process, starting from the ground up,” said Bam Bowen, a CSEA Local 720 – Unit VS negotiating committee member who works as a team leader in the Visitor Services Department. “From organizing staff to signing cards, every step was a collaborative effort. We sat at the negotiating table, advocated for each other, and persevered together. I am so proud to work with these incredible people, and I am proud of everything we have accomplished. We now have a shared voice and a seat at the table.”
Like staff at many other art institutions, workers at Storm King began organizing after a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion was announced. In Storm King’s case, the sculpture park unveiled plans for a $45 million campus redesign in summer 2022 (completion is scheduled for this year). After news of the redesign was announced, union members mobilized their forces in March 2023, launching an email campaign urging supporters to contact the institution’s board of trustees and demand a meeting between management and union negotiators.
“Storm King is pleased to have reached an agreement with our two union-represented staff units after a collaborative and productive process,” says a Storm King spokesperson The art newspaper“We are proud that this agreement brings immediate benefits, such as company-wide wage increases and permanent policies and procedures that ensure Storm King is a fair and supportive workplace for all employees.”
Located in the Hudson River Valley north of New York City, Storm King’s campus is home to a number of large-scale outdoor works by artists such as Tony Smith, Richard Serra, Maya Lin, and Andy Goldsworthy, among many others, as well as an extensive program of temporary exhibitions. It is a popular destination for art lovers from the New York area and beyond.