Eric Carle Museum Workers Push for Union Vote
Employees at the Massachusetts museum established by the children’s book artist behind “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” cited poor working conditions and under-staffing in a statement.
Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? The Eric Carle Museum staff have started unionizing. Workers announced the news on Instagram on August 3, amid staff allegations of understaffing, a lack of promotions, and poor workplace conditions at the Massachusetts museum established by the beloved children's book author and illustrator.
According to their post, employees filed for a full-time and part-time staff election with the National Labor Relations Board. "We call upon Museum leadership not to interfere with or delay a union vote," the post reads. Under representation from the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2110, the group demanded that as many staff as possible be allowed to vote in the election, given they fit the eligibility criteria.
Carle, the late children's book artist best known for The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) and his collaboration with Bill Martin Jr. on Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967), founded the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in November 2002 with his wife, Barbara Carle. In the 23 years since its opening, the museum has welcomed more than a million visitors to Amherst, Massachusetts, to see the author's illustrations and iconic tissue paper collages.
However, a litany of recent allegations have pushed museum staff to the point of unionizing.
