After over 550 days of dedicated organizing efforts, members of AFSCME Council 5 who work at
the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) are celebrating their first-ever union contract.
Staff voted in January 2023 to form SMM Workers Union, a wall-to-wall bargaining unit that includes scientists, researchers, lab technicians, educators, customer service and more. Victories in the deal include substantial wage increases, new parental leave benefits, clear and enforceable job security protections, and longevity pay that rewards years of service. Despite leadership at the St. Paul museum instituting retaliatory layoffs directly after workers voted to join AFSCME and slow-walking bargaining, SMM Workers Union members stood strong and emerged victorious.
“Management fought us at every turn,” said Jennings Mergenthal, a community engagement specialist. “But after 550 days, we won. Not just any contract — we won a fair contract. A contract that ensures a better future for museum workers and raises the standard for cultural institutions across the country.”
AFL-CIO DAILY BRIEF