Wednesday, February 19, about 60 members of SEIU 1021 at the Cal Academy of Sciences convened outside the museum at their lunch break. They marched together to the boardroom where the board of directors was meeting with upper management to deliver a petition for a fair first contract signed by over 70% of their bargaining unit to Executive Director Scott Sampson.

But General Counsel Michael Costanzo came out of the room instead of Sampson. Accusing workers of “interfering with the operations of the Academy,” he refused to send Sampson out to take the petition from the delegation, saying they would be breaking for lunch soon and that workers could wait until then if they wanted. 

Agitated, members continued to chant in the hallway, demanding that Scott come out and accept the petition. Instead of just sending Sampson out, Costanzo demanded the workers leave the boardroom area. Rather than risk arrest, the workers gave the petition — including a 4×3 foot version — to Costanzo to deliver to Sampson.

You can watch the interaction on Instagram here.

“I was very disappointed that senior leadership would rather threaten the workers who make the Academy what it is than to spend half a minute to hear their concerns,” said member Teddy Vollman, a public programs presenter and Enhanced Experiences facilitator at the Academy, who participated in the delegation. 

Members had been circulating the petition among their coworkers for weeks, having conversations about what has been going on at the bargaining table and goals for their first contract. It demands: 

• Fair, regular pay increases for all employees based on longevity. Also to raise the minimum pay for the lowest paid employees.
• Meaningful protections from future layoffs. Severance pay, if layoffs are unavoidable.
• Clear pathways to promotion and fair hiring practices.
• Transparency and accountability in financial and governance decisions.
• Supporting the DEIA goals of the Academy by ensuring gender neutral bathrooms with menstrual supplies, pronoun pins for workers, and education for staff on the racist legacies of the Academy and science museums generally.

Cal Academy Workers United have been in negotiations for their first contract for over a year since they won their union with SEIU 1021 in July 2023. While progress has been made, management continues to insist they cannot afford raises for staff that would keep up with cost of living, let alone reduce inequality. Meanwhile, Sampson’s pay was increased by 21% in one year to $629,458. Sampson’s salary by itself would pay for a raise of over 3% for the entire membership.

Follow Cal Academy Workers United on Instagram here.