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 eventual CBA with Meow Wolf management. Eventually, these will be elected positions.

    • 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 before/after the CBA is signed?

    • When we won recognition, we won the right to bargaining collectively over wages.  This means that the Bargaining Committee is working directly with management to negotiate better wages across the board.  You can always bargain directly for your individual wages in addition to the Bargaining Committee’s work!  *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 take a promotion before/after the CBA is signed?

    • 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 [email protected] if you need support.

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

  • What is Meow Wolf restricted from doing during the period of contract negotiation?

    • The company is no longer able to make unilateral changes to wages, benefits, and many working conditions without approval from MWWC.  This could include hikes in insurance premiums, changes to the physical workspaces, safety protocols, etc.

  • How long does contract negotiation take?

    • Most CBAs are signed within a year - it is rare for them to take longer.  We started bargaining in mid-March 2021. Bargaining in good faith is required by both parties by law, and we recognize any delay in addressing worker wellbeing has serious impacts. We hope to reach a satisfactory agreement with management within this time.

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

    • Right now, we’re in the contract negotiation stage. Our Bargaining Committee regularly meets with company management to bargain over economic and non-economic proposals from both MWWC and management. 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. This is something that the Bargaining Unit will vote on, and currently we are leaning towards being an Open Shop.

  • Tell me about dues.

    • The Bargaining Unit will vote on the dues structure and whether or not to be an Open or Closed Shop (see above). Dues won’t be collected until after our contact is ratified. You will be required to pay dues to remain a "member in good standing" (see Membership page). 

    • 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. The breakdown of where that goes is as follows: 0.8 hours per month will go to CWA’s national operating budget, 0.25 hours per month go to the national strike fund, and 1.2 hours per month stay with our local (MWWC) for organizing 

  • What strategies does our union employ to account for the radically different types of jobs that are represented at Meow Wolf?

    • The Outreach Committee’s purpose is to gather input from the Bargaining Unit by means of surveys and direct conversations with our unit.  This data informs the Bargaining Committee, who negotiates our contract. ,

    • We don't mean to make it sound simple - it's not. It's a lot of work and a lot to learn about a huge number of people. Fortunately, this contract is ours to build (in concert with company management). This means that we don't have to make it overly prescriptive or one size fits all. It will be crucial that we're thinking holistically in our language when we bargain. Your input in our contract is vital!

  • 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 is to create the best contract we can for everyone in the bargaining unit. Full stop. Your participation helps make that happen, even if you would not like to be a member. Survey responses and conversations are still imperative to understand your needs. We also encourage you to speak with union members or email us to discuss any further questions you may have about membership.

  • 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.

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