Hi Lindsay, I read your post with great interest. It is a much needed topic for workers that (due to a variety of factors I won't rehash here) often don't feel like they have a lot of leverage. Another important piece of your panel idea on negotiating for career and salary growth you may want to consider is organized labor. At my employer we bargain as a group and therefore have significantly more leverage. We have guaranteed raises, 401(k) contributions and matches, healthcare costs, and non-financial benefits such as scheduling parameters. We also have language in our contract to support career growth regarding new positions.
One thing to consider about negotiating collectively is that you can use negotiations to benefit both yourself and the industry as a whole. I very much view our work with the local as part of the larger project of creating a more diverse, equitable museum industry. We keep positions as well-paying as possible (we routinely negotiate with management to increase the "floor" of current or proposed positions) and negotiate to create as many full time positions as possible. Just today (August 27th) the weekly Leadership Matters blog said "Maybe, just maybe, there's a recognition that an all-white, all-privileged field is not such a great thing and
creating a more diverse field means making it a better paid field." By negotiating as a group with management, we benefit not only ourselves but also support a local museum workforce accessible to people who depend solely on their own labor for money; a workforce that doesn't require access to other sources of money as a prerequisite for getting a job. Since issues of income inequality hit communities of color the hardest, I hope we are, in some small way, fostering a jobs climate accessible to would-be museum workers of color.
Perhaps this is not exactly what you were thinking of for your panel, but I hope this somewhat expansive idea of "negotiating" is food for thought. I'd be happy to help with the panel discussion in any way. Thank you.
Jaclyn J. Kelly
President, AFSCME Local 526, AFL-CIO
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Jaclyn Kelly
Educator II
Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee WI
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-24-2018 04:15 PM
From: Lindsay Grinstead
Subject: NEGOTIATING YOUR WAY UP: AAM 2019 Panelists Needed!
Hi all,
I am hoping to propose a session for AAM 2019 on the topic of negotiating skills and advocating for yourself in the workplace. In general, I don't think there are enough industry resources on how to successfully negotiate during salary and promotion conversations--it remains somewhat of a taboo topic but is so important to museum professionals in all stages of their career! In addition to fiscal negotiations, I think it's also important to discuss other ways in which we can advocate for ourselves in the workplace (professional development resources, special project assignments, etc.).
I am by no means an expert on the topic, and would propose bringing together a variety of viewpoints as a panel. In particular, I think it would be helpful to have someone in an HR position, someone with a long history of successful negotiations, and perhaps someone from AAM who works on their salary survey and can discuss industry trends. If you think you could provide valuable perspective to this topic, please let me know! Also, if this topic interests you in general let me know--I'm curious as to how much of an appeal it would have to the AAM audience, but judging by conversations I've had with colleagues it sounds like everyone could benefit from a candid and helpful discussion on the topic.
Cheers,
Lindsay Grinstead
Executive Assistant and Project Manager
Chazen Museum of Art
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Lindsay Grinstead
Executive Assistant to the Director and Project Manager
Chazen Museum of Art
Madison WI
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