Wex Workers United

01/28/2024

Union update ‼️

We, the Wex Workers United, voted unanimously to ratify our contract! The 3-year signed contract will go into effect February 1st and we are now AFSCME Local 322.

Thank you to all of our supporters who have helped us throughout our unionization effort. We can’t wait to continue working together for a better and more equitable workplace!

03/31/2023

“We were acting like a union,” Snyder said. “We were taking care of each other and advocating for each other as much as we could, even before we were official.”

Recently, Wex workers voted unanimously to unionize. Read the latest from NBC4 on our efforts.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A lot has happened at the Wexner Center for the Arts in the past year. Since announcing plans to unionize in March 2022, employees at the center have lent coworkers space he…

03/22/2023

03/22/2023

Union Update! We won our union election with a unanimous vote in support of the Wex Workers United union! We would like to thank the Wex Workers and our union representatives for their tireless work since announcing the union campaign back in March 2022.

"This is a huge victory for all of us at Wex Workers United. We are so excited about what this means for Wexner Center for the Arts employees and everyone that stood with us and believed in our goal to win our union. and make real change at the Wexner Center for the Arts" –Jo Snyder, Wex Workers United Member.

AFSCME Cultural Workers United, AFSCME Ohio Council 8

The victory comes a year after Wex Workers United formed to make changes in their workplace.

02/17/2023

“I’m voting YES because our union will be a structure that enables Wex workers to look out for one another in tangible, material ways. Unions are care!” —Jo Snyder, Education Programs Coordinator

Only 11 days left before we start our vote by mail! 🗳💌

Feb 28-Mar 14 ➡️ Voting by mail
Mar 22 ➡️ Final count

02/09/2023

"I am voting YES because I believe unions are one of the best available tools for building a more equitable, safe, and fair workplace." -Layla Muchnik-Benali, Curatorial Assistant in Film/Video

Voting will take place via mail from Feb 28-Mar 14, with the final count on March 22. ✅🗓️

Stay tuned for more posts from WWU workers ourselves sharing why we will be voting yes for our union! ❤️‍🔥

02/03/2023

Rachael Barbash, the Wex’s projectionist, is voting YES for our union! In her own words:

“I am pro union because collective bargaining reduces wage inequality and improves working conditions for all workers.”

Stay tuned for more posts highlighting the reasons why Wex staff will be voting yes for a union! Voting by mail will take place between Feb 28 - March 14, with a final count on March 22nd.

01/31/2023

Jean Pitman, who runs the Wex’s Youth & Family Programs, wants a union because:

“I have always advocated for working through stuff as part of a team—a diversity of hearts, minds, skill sets, and perspectives focusing on a task or working on solving a problem is always going to be an easier lift. Unionizing aligns with this 100%”

As we get closer to our election dates, we will be posting the reasons why Wex staff will be voting YES for a union. Stay tuned for more!

01/25/2023

Union Update! Our election dates have been scheduled! ​​​📅

Transcript included below:

"We finally have our union election dates scheduled with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB).

After nearly a year of fighting for recognition of our union, our mail-in ballot election is set for February 28th through March 14th. The vote count will be March 22nd.

March 4th, 2023 will mark one year from when we presented our letter to management asking for voluntary recognition of our union. On this anniversary we will be proudly pouring in our votes to finally gain the voice we deserve, together as the WWU Union.

Thank you for your continued support!"

01/03/2023

Union Update:

At the end of December, we learned the final decision from the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) regarding the shape of our bargaining unit.

Of the 16 contested positions, 8 were deemed supervisory and therefore not eligible for inclusion in our union. The remaining 8 positions were contested on the grounds that they did not share an appropriate "community of interest" with other Wex workers, which SERB ruled was untrue. These positions WILL be included in the union.

This is a mixed success. We are disappointed that some of our colleagues will not be included in the union despite our belief that they should be eligible. We are glad, though, that SERB recognized the shared conditions that make us Wex Workers United and affirmed our community of interest.

Thank you for your support and solidarity over the last 10 months. Now that our bargaining unit has been confirmed, our next step is an election!

Stay tuned for a more complete update post highlighting key moments from 2022 and looking ahead to this new year of solidarity and mutual care.

12/08/2022