Video Journal: Doughnuts to Museum

In early July, a delegation for guards and community supporters tried to deliver a letter to Gail Harrity (CEO of Phila Museum) requesting a meeting. We arrive before 9 to the administration offices of the museum and requested that someone, a secretary, and intern, anyone, from the Ms. Harrity's office come out and take our letter and assure us that it would be given to the President.

A security guard came and told us that he had direct orders to not take our letter.

We came back, hoping to catch Ms Harrity on her way to work and to make sure that others that she worked with knew what we were trying to do. We should up before 9 AM on July 24.

We talked with a bunch of workers as they went in as well as a major donor who was leaving the building after a meeting with the fundraising department. Almost everyone was nice to us even though a couple of the "higher-ups" were scowling at us from inside of the gated parking lot. Shortly after 9 AM a captain of the AlliedBarton guards showed up and told us to leave and we did without incident.

Museum Receives Gift From Guards

Union Endows CEO With Doughnuts

Philadelphia, PA- Administrative workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be met by cheerful union activists offering free doughnuts as they arrive to work tomorrow. The activists hope that their gesture will prompt the workers to help them get a meeting with interim museum CEO, Gail Harrity.

Since 2007, the activist group Jobs with Justice has been trying to get museum leaders to meet with the Philadelphia Security Officers Union, a local worker association.

"I have spoken on the phone with the head of Human Resources, the head of Contracting, and others," says Fabricio Rodriguez, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice. "They act like they want to help but it always ends in them saying that they will not meet with us."

Last week, the activist group, along with members of the union and local labor leaders, attempted to hand-deliver a meeting request letter, only to be turned away at the door.

There is hope that the free pastries and the hand bills will get someone close to the CEO to encourage her to finally fulfill requests for a meeting.

The security officers have two main objectives: to reverse the cancellation of their $.25 per hour annual raises, and to make plans to take their earnings up to family-sustaining levels.