PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Museum of Art's union has nearly 200 members and is part of AFSCME Local 397. It is also part of District Council 47. Members of the union say that the management has violated federal law by paying workers wages and benefits below the national average and denying them the opportunity to support their families.
Union members believe that the museum is ignoring their needs. They say the museum has been denying them fair treatment for two years. Union leaders have tried to negotiate a contract but to no avail. The museum's workers are demanding a living wage and health benefits. Often, museum workers work two jobs to survive.
Despite the strike, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is still open. The workers are holding demonstrations outside the building. Their signs say "Fair Contract Now!" and chant, "What does PMA have to hide?" Even the Philadelphia City Council is supporting them.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is an art museum in Philadelphia. It was chartered in 1876 as part of the Centennial Exposition. Its current building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located northwest of Benjamin Franklin Parkway near the Eakins Oval.
