Denver Art Museum workers demand decent wages
By Bailey Heaton and Cassandra Heil
Denver, CO – On the afternoon of May 14, dozens of people rallied at the Cow and Calf statues outside the Denver Art Museum (DAM) to support the museum employees’ struggle for a union contract.
The crowd, led by the Denver Art Museum Workers United (DAMWU), marched three times around the block from 12th and Tacoma Street to 14th and Bannock, chanting, “Exploitation ain’t the way, workers gotta get their pay!” and “Hey hey, ho ho! Poverty wages have got to go!”
The workers at the Denver Art Museum have been negotiating for a contract for over two years, mainly demanding higher wages, a better policy to protect immigrant employees, and more funding for the DAM worker food pantry.
“A fair wage would mean a lot of things for a lot of different people who work here. For some people, it’s about being able to afford food, it’s about being able to afford rent, to afford healthcare, to save for the future,” said Macey Borant, a DAM employee in the exhibitions department. “For me, I can’t actually afford to live in Denver with what I make at the museum, so I live in Greeley. I commute here, and the trip here is an hour and a half each way, and it’s really taxing on top of an eight-hour shift.”
The DAM pays $19.29 per hour, or Denver’s minimum wage. This is the least amount paid among all multicultural institutions, including the Botanical Gardens, Museum of Nature and Science, and the Children’s Museum, which offer $20 to $22 per hour upon hire.
DAMWU also demands free parking for employees. Parking is $6 per day at the Cherokee Street parking garage nearby, and monthly passes are $100 per month – a fee that many employees cannot afford on their current wages.
“We’re here tonight to tell management that we’re not making concessions, we will not be pressured, will not compromise, and that we are united!” said Sean Chase, another DAM worker. “If the Denver Art Museum is a world-class institution, then you should be paying world-class wages!”
The Denver Art Museum said that they would give a small wage increase, smaller than the workers are demanding, only if they get rid of the sick time the workers won in their last negotiations.
The Denver Art Museum Workers United union is going back to the negotiating table on Wednesday, May 27.