BAMunion

Thrilled to report that BAM staff voted 82% YES for a #BAMunion! #ABetterBAM #UnionYes #1u

In solidarity, DEI Mutual Aid Fund for and by BAM Staff Organizers.

We are looking to raise $15,000 more, in order to support our community needs. Please consider donating if you have not done so already, or donating again. Any amount is appreciated! We would also love it if you could share the fund in your networks!

Thank you for donating to the DEI Mutual Aid Fund for BAM Staff! During our first two rounds, we were able to provide much needed cash assistance to all 30+ applicants. gofundme.com/f/dei-mutual-a…

BREAKING: We won!! The school has agreed to withdraw the petition with no conditions!!

BREAKING: We ratified our first union contract! Thanks to our parent union @UAW2110, negotiating and organizing committees, membership, and supporters who believed in and fought for #ABetterBAM. hyperallergic.com/590279/bam-adm…

SEE YOU THERE!

NEWSFLASH 🚨 #BAMNotWorking is DEFINITELY still a thing! We thought PPP loans were meant to to help cover payroll expenses, and yet, BAM has implemented a Voluntary Separation Incentive to “reduce staffing costs” while eluding to the possibility of “more staffing changes.”

Hmm, seems like #BAMNotWorking is still a thing. Not surprising! Mass layoffs and furloughs have irrevocably hurt the organization. Know that #BAMunion is here to play a.k.a. continue the fight for BAM workers.

So, you're thinking UNION but don’t know where to start? In Collectivizing Cultural Work, comrades from @aawwunion, @bam_union and @ncm_union demystify collective bargaining with a step-by-step breakdown of the process: bit.ly/2P6nxPJ #CommonFieldHouston

I've watched plenty of people turn and burn through BAM. When it's time for you to go, you receive no acknowledgement of how you spent years committing to, advocating for, and making a home at BAM. - Associate Director / Furlough through August; Position Eliminated

I don't expect leadership in any organization to have a personal touch to every furlough or layoff. However, this wasn't just a random firing—this is a total destruction of all of our lives and there has been zero acknowledgement of that from leadership.

I’ve learned that for an institution that prides itself on "community," your service really means nothing but an expense to their bottom line. Since my furlough, I haven't received anything from BAM outside of the weekly HR email blast.

If BAM’s Artistic Director (AD) and President had taken the rest of 2020 without pay (Apr onward), all furloughed employees could still be working, albeit at reduced hours. The AD and Pres still would have made 6 figure salaries from working Jan thru Apr 2020 #BAMNotWorking

"I feel the absence of my friends and colleagues who were laid off or placed on furlough every day. For me, the painful and divisive staff changes at BAM have contributed to the always present sense of isolation and uncertainty of these times." - Nora / Copywriter / Reduced Hours

Shout out to our labor movement siblings from @UAW @UFT and @newmuseum_union! The people united will never be defeated! #ReclaimPride #labor4blacklives #Proud2Care

Returning to the senses in which BAM is not working for its workers, let us count the ways: With furloughs, reduced work, and layoffs, the highest salary at BAM is still 10.9x higher than the lowest salaried position. #BAMNotWorking

Today we launch our Mutual Aid Fund! We want to emphasize that Mutual Aid is not charity, but rather a communal and multi-directional effort. As a thanks, our talented Teaching Artists are offering original artworks and prints to the first backers! 🌟 gofundme.com/f/cma-union

To donate, or to request funds via the application form, please follow the link. No donation is too small, and if you are not in the position to contribute financially, please consider sharing within your networks. Thank you for showing up for each other! gofundme.com/f/dei-mutual-a…

Data shows that Black and brown communities are being hit hardest by COVID-19. Because of this we are prioritizing the needs of Black, Indigenous, and POC staff. We intend to help at least 350 individuals who have been financially impacted by the current COVID-19.

Staff at BAM, including members of the staff-initiated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) task force and members of the union bargaining committee, have set up the DEI Mutual Aid Fund for BAM Staff.