Support Striking PMA Workers

Unionized workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) are on strike.

These museum workers in Philadelphia are fighting on behalf of all museum workers.

They are fighting against a Board that has paid to hire union-busting lawyers instead of negotiating in good faith.

The museum is paying its Director upwards of $700,000 a year, while its unionized workers ask that their minimum pay is raised to $16.75 per hour.

I ask that you please consider supporting these museum workers, either by sending emails on their behalf to the PMA Director and Board through this website or, if you are able, by contributing to the strike fund here.

To find out more, check out the PMA Union website.

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

Just Put the Salary Range in the Ad!

Much has been written (here and here, for example) about the importance of including salary ranges in job ads.

So allow me to share some good news on that front. The Museum Association of New York (MANY) has announced that starting June 1, 2022, salary ranges will be required for all job ads on their website. (In recognition of MANY's efforts on behalf of museum workers, POW! is proud to sponsor the MANY Job Board through June 2023.)

 "I am so pleased that we now require salary ranges on our job board," said MANY Executive Director Erika Sanger. "I have had to walk away from a long interview process because salary negotiations started way below a living wage. I hope this change will help museums and museum professionals advance equity in our field."

MANY joins a long list of national and regional museum organizations, including AASLH, ASTC, ACM, NEMA, MAAM, and AMM, who have chosen to support museum workers by promoting wage transparency.

Conspicuously absent from organizations supporting museum workers in this way is the American Alliance of Museums.  Why not send AAM's President & CEO, Laura Lott, a short email (lauralott@gmail.com) asking why AAM still resists simply requiring that salary ranges be included for all positions on the AAM Job Board?

Better yet, help support the work of the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network (NEMPN) and sign their petition to get AAM to #ShowTheSalary.

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Sign up for Free ExhibiTricks Blog Updates" link on the upper right side of the blog.

Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Appreciating The People You Meet Along The Way

I started writing this post about the people I've met (and stayed connected to) in the museum biz --- many who I met first on the "conference circuit."

But I've shifted my thoughts slightly,  upon hearing of the untimely death of Alan Friedman.

Alan was one of those truly kind museum people who I've met along the way, both in working on projects with the New York Hall of Science, and in conversations along that (seemingly endless) museum conference and meeting circuit.

Alan was a deep thinker who genuinely cared about museums and museum visitors, and whose thoughtful writings will continue to benefit museum folks.

What I was going to say originally in this post, and perhaps even more forcefully now in the context of Alan's passing, is to take the time to let the people around you know how much you appreciate them.  It really does mean a lot.




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