Outsourced Art Institute of Chicago custodians face short paychecks and lost benefits

A month after the Art Institute of Chicago outsourced its custodians, the union representing museum staff said workers who stayed on under a private contractor have gone without sick time or health insurance and received short paychecks.

Art Institute of Chicago Workers United made the claim in an Instagram post marking one month since the custodians’ jobs were outsourced.

“Our custodial coworkers told us they continued working without sick time or health insurance, and even that paychecks are coming in short,” the union said.

The union said it escalated its grievance to stage two and is still waiting for a response from museum leadership.

“While Art Institute Leadership stays silent, let’s listen to words from you, our AICWU Community,” the post said.

Urgent Matter previously reported that on June 29 the museum decided to terminate 23 in-house custodians and shift their work to an outside company. Management set August 14 as the end date, and the custodians worked their last day last month.

The custodians are members of AFSCME Local 37, the Art Institute of Chicago Workers United bargaining unit, and several have worked at the institution for more than two decades, the union has said.

The union said it delivered its petition, “Give our custodians their jobs back,” to museum leadership at the first bargaining meeting. The petition has more than 4,300 signatures and hundreds of testimonials.

The union said it will keep highlighting petition comments until leadership responds and the grievance is settled. It published a selection in the post.

“I’m truly devastated by this decision. I’ve given this employer the last 20 plus years of my life - with hard work and dedication. It is truly unfair to expect staff to start from zero after dedicating the decades to the Museum,” wrote one custodian who requested anonymity.

Sonia P-Sanchez was hired June 22 as a custodian but was informed a week later that her position would be terminated.

“I have no words for this unprofessional action against so many lifestyles,” wrote Ephraim Mitchell, a custodian.

Benjamin Javellana, the museum’s manager of art storage, questioned whether other positions could be put on the chopping block if the custodian terminations were let stand.

“Within the library, having the same custodial team has helped keep our department up to collection storage standards,” wrote Marissa Ramirez, who works in the museum’s Ryerson Library. “Terminating their positions for a rotating, outsourced staff will be extremely disruptive and puts the museum’s collection, especially the library collection, at risk.”

The petition’s public comments include several museum members who said they would cancel or decline to renew their memberships over the outsourcing.

“As a member of the AIC, I demand and expect the very best from the institute and that includes a clean museum and fair labor practice. If the AIC cannot meet the demands of the union I will cancel my membership,” wrote Genevieve Nemeth, who identified herself as a local doctoral student and community member.

The museum has defended the outsourcing. Urgent Matter previously reported that it told Hyperallergic and the Chicago Sun-Times it chose a contractor committed to hiring the current custodians at wages at or above their current pay, that displaced workers could apply for jobs with the incoming company, and that it acted within its union contract.

Two unfair labor practice cases involving the institution and its union remain open before the National Labor Relations Board’s Region 13, though both predate the outsourcing decision and concern separate matters.

Urgent Matter obtained the charge documents through Freedom of Information Act requests and reported the charges last month.

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