FAQs

  • What’s a shop steward, and what do they do?

    • Currently our shop stewards, also called union stewards, are volunteer MWWC members who have received training through CWA to understand worker rights, and our Collective Bargaining Agreement with Meow Wolf management. They are designated support people who can help members navigate a wide range of workplace issues. If you are having a workplace issue and not sure where to get help, a shop steward is a good place to start.

    • How do I become a shop steward?

  • How can I interact with my manager if I’m a bargaining unit/MWWC member?

    • There aren’t any new limitations on how you can interact.  The only change is that now you have additional resources available for support in the workplace.  You’re absolutely welcome to reach out to anyone in the MWWC for support navigating your job as well as your Time Worm.

  • Can I discuss raises with my manager?

    • You can always bargain directly for your individual wages to go beyond what is outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement!  *Note: when individual wages are negotiated it is a formality that the union needs to approve this change - we will always support increased wages for anyone in the Bargaining Unit. 

  • Can I accept a promotion?

    • If you are offered a promotion and you want to accept, you can! Congratulations!

  • Can I request a union steward accompany me to a meeting with HR/my manager? 

    • Absolutely! Weingarten Rights state that you can be accompanied by a union steward when being questioned by HR or your Manager, especially in a situation that could result in discipline. If you are in the bargaining unit, you can request to have a MWWC steward join you. This MWWC steward is a fellow MW worker, trained to understand the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and grievance procedure. They are there to support you, and ensure the issue can be resolved in a positive way for all parties. 

    • HR or your manager may not offer this option to you, but you can invoke these rights at any point in your conversation. Inform them “I request to have my union steward here for this”, and the conversation must stop until you can be in touch with us. 

    • Please reach out to us at unionformeowwolf@gmail.com if you need support.

    • You do not have to elect this right if you do not want to.

  • What are you doing right now? What can I do to help?

    • Right now, we’re forming our organizational structure. The best thing you can do to help is to get involved! Attend meetings, participate in solidarity actions and Committees! Your experience and expertise is crucial to understanding what workers need.

  • What does it mean to be an Open Shop or a Closed Shop? What are we?

    • An Open Shop means folks who choose not to be MWWC members wouldn’t pay an agency fee in lieu of union dues. A Closed Shop means they would be required to. We have chosen to be an Open Shop.

  • Tell me about dues.

    • Dues are paid in hours/month. If the employee is salaried, the dues are based on a 40 hour work week. The minimum required by the national CWA constitution is 2.25 hours per month, which is what we voted to ratify into our contract. The breakdown of where that goes is as follows: 0.8 hours per month goes to CWA’s national operating budget, 0.25 hours per month goes to the national strike fund, and 1.2 hours per month stays with our local (MWWC) for organizing 

  • How do you support non-members?

    • If you elect not to join, you are provided the same benefits and representation as union members. 

    • Our goal was to create the best contract we could for everyone in the bargaining unit. Full stop. You still have Weingarten Rights should you choose to use them, and if you have concerns please speak up on MWWC slack or end us an email.

  • How do you support those outside of the BU?

    • Though we do not officially represent certain jobs within the company, we converse with our coworkers to understand their needs too. We use this insight too as we are aware that any conditions we can negotiate into the contract may have a ripple effect and positively impact coworkers outside the BU as well.

  • What’s the relationship between the MWWC and the national umbrella of CWA?

    • The MWWC is proudly local 7055 of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

    • This means that we have the support and resources of a national union, but by being our own local we have the independence to call our own shots.

  • What’s up with the bananas?

    • Once upon a time during an early organizing meeting, a vote was held for [Option A], [Option B], or Banana.  It was late, people were slap happy, and Banana won the vote by a long shot.  What started as a small bit of silliness slowly became a symbol of MWWC funsies and solidarity.

  • Have a question we haven’t answered here?

    • Please reach out to us at unionformeowwolf@gmail.com!