Updated at 7 p.m. to include a statement from Glenstone Museum
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Glenstone Museum employees voted to join Teamsters Local 639.
The 89 workers at the private Potomac art museum are employed as guides, cafe workers, handle registration, groundskeeping, engineering, maintenance, community engagement and housekeeping.
“I was proud to vote yes in this election because I believe that everyone who works at Glenstone deserves a happy, healthy, and fulfilling work environment,” Lynx Merchant, a guide at Glenstone wrote in a news release.
“We are the face of Glenstone. From interacting with visitors in the galleries and dining locations to the spotless windows and maintenance of lush landscape, we keep Glenstone running through our daily labor,” wrote Elizabeth Shaw, a grounds and visitor liaison.
“I am excited about the opportunity to bring the realities of our work to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract that will ensure the sustainability of our employment.”
Glenstone workers organized with the Teamsters in an effort to obtain better wages, improved benefits and safer working conditions, according to the release from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
According to the teamsters, many of Glenstone’s staff hold second job, and the part-time workers do not receive health care benefits. Workers also strove to unionize due to their outdoor work in “extreme heat and cold.”
“We organized with the Teamsters because we need a livable wage and better working conditions,” said Mohannad Shoair, a café attendant. “There is absolutely no justifiable reason any of us should be required to work two jobs to pay rent or work in unsafe conditions. We can’t wait to negotiate a strong first contract that addresses our collective concerns and provides the wages, benefits, and working conditions that we deserve.”
In an email statement to MCM, a Glenstone spokesperson wrote, “From the very beginning of the process, we have said we respect the right of our associates to decide whether to join a union. The majority have now elected to be represented by Teamsters Local 639, with one out of three voting against being represented by the union.”
The statement continued, “Guided by our core values, we will negotiate in good faith. We recommit ourselves to working in a spirit of direct and meaningful engagement with all our associates, union and non-union alike, to strengthen the entire Glenstone community.”
