Bringing Holiday Cheer, Museum Workers Want Some for Themselves

(l-r): Kristina Ching, Shallena Jabid, and Rita Simon
(l-r): Kristina Ching, Shallena Jabid, and Rita Simon

NOVEMBER 14—The Grand Central New York Transit Museum looked a little more festive than usual when it opened Thursday morning. A mammoth train set dominated the space, with cars looping through models of tunnels from miniature snowy mountains to elevated tracks that led to a scale model of Grand Central Station itself.

Greeting customers were some of Local 100’s newest union members—MTA Sales Leads and Sales Associates who staff the museum’s three locations (2 Broadway, Grand Central, and Livingston Street in Brooklyn).

Kristina Ching, a four-year employee at the museum, is the Shop Steward for the Grand Central store. She’s one of about 35 members across the three locations who signed with TWU Local 100 in April to obtain better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Also representing workers in the shop is Shallena Jabid, with 26 years on the job. Both Ching and Jabid are on the bargaining committee, which just met with management at the table for the third time.

“I like working with people,” said Jabid. “So many come here just for information, every day—nothing to do with the museum—and we can help them.”

Rita Simon, who has two years on the job, agrees,  "I love interacting with people – and you meet people from all over, especially at Grand Central. There are people coming from all over the world. I love meeting the kids, too.”

Simon adds there is another significant perk to her job: “I love my co-workers more than anything.

These retail workers—most in their 20s and 30s—enjoy their jobs. It’s just that in a city that grows more expensive by the day, their wages aren’t growing. Lead Sales Associates make $20 an hour while Sales Associates make $18 an hour. Transit Museum workers have no vacation time, no sick time, and no holiday pay. If they work on Christmas, they get paid. If not, they don’t.

"We are all right now officially part time. That's where we asked the TWU to help us out with the contract, to get [contractual language for] our full-time staff. That's our main goal,” said Ching.

While no one is full-time, some museum employees get the opportunity to work 40 hours when needed. There are no pick rights for locations, and seniority means nothing. Raises are given whenever the MTA gets around to it, which is rarely. One worker noted that when the minimum wage increases is when raises occur.

Museum employees do have one perk—an EPIC pass that gets them on the subway for free. Meanwhile, they work at a holiday destination where well-heeled customers think nothing of putting down $82 for a wooden toy train for toddlers. The MTA, a massive public authority, has a $20 billion yearly operating budget.

As the doors opened precisely at 10 AM Thursday, Ching, Jabid and Simon were all smiles as kids and parents rushed to see and take videos of the huge train display. There was the kind of cheer in the air that kicks off every holiday season. But for these workers, the best holiday gift would be some recognition where it counts -- in their bank accounts.