(NEW WINDSOR, NEW YORK) - Workers at the Storm King Art Center (SKAC) in New York’s Hudson Valley have ratified their first contracts, ending months of negotiations over benefits and better wages.

Organizing efforts by Staff Members who work in the Visitor Services, Education and Conservation Departments - as well as the Gift Shop and Administrative Offices, were supported by Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 1000, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Members of the SKAC Workers Union began mobilizing in August 2022 to secure job security, improved benefits and salaries in line with cost of living.

The two new contracts - one for Visitor Services Workers and another for the remaining departments - ensure the average hourly wage will increase by more than 9% and that employers contribute to the Workers’ 403(b) accounts.

“We see this first contract as a foundation we can build upon now that we have our Union and the voice on the job that comes with it,” said Maureen Spaulding, a CSEA Negotiating Committee Member.

“Right away, we’re all benefiting from an immediate wage increase following our contract vote. Having that contract gives us a written guarantee for our wage increases, health insurance costs and other benefits for the next several years.  Before we organized our Union, there were no guarantees year to year,” Spaulding said.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: Storm King Art Center Workers Celebrate First Union Contracts (hyperallergic.com)