By Bay City News.
After months of organizing efforts, employees of the California Academy of Sciences museums voted to form a union on Friday, Cal Academy Workers United, the union said Monday.
Union organizers said 77 percent of the roughly 350 eligible workers voted, and of those, 77 percent voted to form a union.
Cal Academy Workers United will represent non-supervisory employees working in all areas of the museum, including the visitor experience, research, education, marketing and development, and all other areas of the museum and research institution, to have a say in how the Academy is run, how funds are allocated, and how employees are compensated.
The union's goals include negotiating better wages and benefits for workers, ensuring fair treatment and respect, and having a say in how the museum is run.
“This is a victory for all of us who work at the Academy,” said Ian Hart, an exhibit trainer at the Academy and a member of the organizing committee. "We've been working hard on this for months, and it's an amazing feeling to see it come to fruition."
Employees of the California Academy of Sciences join the ranks of the Service Employees International Union ?SEIU? Local 1021, a union that represents workers at other San Francisco museums, including the De Young, Legion of Honor, Asian Art Museum, and Exploratorium.
"The road ahead is so important as we move towards contract negotiations. I look forward to continuing with my co-workers to ensure that all staff needs are heard and addressed in a contract," said Victoria Langlands, member of the organizing committee.
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