(PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA) – About 70 Workers employed at the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site have filed for a Union Election as they seek to join the United Steelworkers (USW) and gain a greater voice at one of the region’s most important cultural sites.  The Workers - Educators and Visitors’ Services and Retail Workers, as well as Facilities and Administrative Staff, have requested a formal vote through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which will set a date for the election.

“We’re Unionizing because we need to advocate for ourselves when it comes to compensation and safety, without fear of reprisal,” noted Annie Finnegan, a Visitors’ Services Worker for three years. “A Union provides that seat at the table.” 

Open-air tours of the sprawling complex subject Workers and guests to extreme temperatures and safety risks that management has failed to address, said Finnegan, adding the “living ruin”- once a home to Willie Sutton and Al Capone - requires constant care that Front Line Workers understand better than anyone else.

Hannah Boettger, a Senior Specialist in Advancement Services and Analytics, said: “Our in-put will mean better experiences for all who walk through the doors.  Our mission is to challenge guests to rethink American Corrections.  We want them to get the most out of their visits.”

Workers also cited the need for job security and a transparent promotion process and for protection against discrimination and unfair discipline.

Right now, management pushes back when Workers raise those issues. 

“That’s got to change,” said Gary McCormick, an Eastern State Educator.  “They pride themselves on pointing out that folks who are incarcerated and folks who used to be incarcerated, need a voice.  Frankly, I think that’s true of us as well.”

Hundreds of Workers at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh also voted to join the USW in 2020. 

The USW represents 850,000 Members who are employed in Metals, Mining, Pulp and Paper, Rubber, Chemicals, Glass, Auto Supply and the Energy-producing Industries, along with a growing number of Workers in Public Sector and Service Occupations.

To Directly Access This Organizing Labor News Story, Go To: www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2022/philadelphia-museum-workers-seek-election-to-join-usw