Staff at the Wexner Center for the Arts announced plans to unionize Friday, in hopes of making the center an “equitable, transparent, and sustainable workplace for employees at all levels.”
Credit: Sophia Tobias | For The Lantern
Staff at the Wexner Center for the Arts announced plans to unionize Friday, in hopes of making the center an “equitable, transparent, and sustainable workplace for employees at all levels.”
The new union — Wex Workers United — was formed in collaboration with labor union AFSCME Ohio Council 8, according to a press release. The staff at the Wexner Center have been supported in their efforts to unionize by award-winning filmmakers Julia Reichert and Stephen Bognar, known largely for their documentary on labor struggles, “American Factory.”
According to the Wex Workers United letter to leadership, the decision to unionize was made primarily over the past two years, when pandemic-related issues brought to light problems that had already been underlying within the institution.
“Staff at the Wex have individually raised our voices to articulate concerns about inequities and the health of those of us in public-facing roles at the Wex,” Matt Reber, store manager for the Wexner Center, said in the press release. “The responses have left us feeling isolated and unsupported. Having a union means having a collective voice. It will create opportunities to be heard and have action taken to improve working conditions. This, in turn, strengthens the workplace as a whole, and improves our ability to support the mission of the Wex.”
The Wexner Center for the Arts did not return a request for comment.
According to the letter, long-standing issues such as pay inequities played a role in the decision to unionize. However, during the pandemic, hours were reduced, six positions were eliminated, staff was furloughed and many employees took on added responsibilities.
Additionally, some of the lowest-paid employees at the center were made to return to public-facing positions during the pandemic before vaccines became available, according to the letter to leadership.
“A union helps us all in the end, but is especially vital for the most vulnerable of us—the underpaid, the front-facing workers, and multiply marginalized staff members,” Jo Snyder, Learning & Public Practice programs coordinator, said in the press release. “Leadership, policies, and benefits can all change without worker input, leaving staff to deal with the fallout. A union doesn’t just create solidarity among staff; it gives us consistency, whatever else might happen.”
Also in the letter, Wex Workers United stated it aims to uphold the center’s mission of fostering social change. It stated research indicates unionizing creates more equitable workplaces, especially for those already negatively impacted by discrimination.
Although student workers at the center will not be eligible to join the union, a spokesperson for Wex Workers United said in an email, the union strongly believes progress made by the union will benefit all employees.
“We see and appreciate the efforts of upper management to attempt to address many of these issues for the very first time in the history of the organization,” the union stated in its letter to leadership. “But lasting, systemic change must ultimately come from the bottom up.”
A previous version of this article stated the union was announced Wednesday. This article has been updated to reflect the union was announced Friday.
