Whitney Museum staff ratify contract, averting strike

Unionized staff at the Whitney Museum of American Art ratified a new three-year contract on October 4, narrowly avoiding a strike that was scheduled to begin on October 5. The labor action would have coincided with the previews for a Roy Lichtenstein retrospective titled ‘Like New’.

The agreement, reached by nearly 200 staffers represented by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2110, includes across-the-board pay increases of at least 14.75% over four years. The contract establishes a new wage floor of $26 per hour for retail, membership, and visitor experience associates.

Additional benefits secured in the deal include inaugural longevity bonuses for employees with at least ten years of service, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, increased bereavement leave, and enhanced health and safety provisions.