With strong member turnout, SEIU 1021 members at the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco voted by 97% last week to ratify their tentative agreement. Highlights include a 9.3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) over the three-year life of the contract; an increase in the minimum wage for SEIU 1021 bargaining unit workers; new recall rights for laid-off employees; and new protections around AI.

“We’re very proud of how our members stayed united and showed up for our actions,” said bargaining team member Lutzka Zinvy. ”Our solidarity and participation generated the pressure we needed to get a three-year contract for the first time, raise the wage floor for our lowest-paid members, win a COLA that helps us keep up with inflation, and secured layoff recall rights for our members.

“The bargaining team feels this is the best possible contract under the circumstances, and we’re excited to continue the amazing organizing work we started in this contract campaign.”

The Exploratorium is projecting a budget deficit of almost $12 million in the next two years, and much of the federal covid stimulus money is gone. It was a difficult time to be negotiating, but thanks to the unity of the membership, they were able to apply the pressure needed to win a strong 3-year contract with no takeaways that helps keep up with inflation while raising the wage floor and strengthening the union.