Shedd Aquarium workers file petition to form a labor union

Shedd Aquarium employees on Monday filed a formal petition to form a labor union and demanded that management recognize the union, called Shedd Workers United.

Organizers filed for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board after a “strong majority” of employees signed union authorization cards, Shedd employee Darrianna Rockholt said at a news conference Monday outside the aquarium. Rockholt is a member of Shedd Workers United’s organizing committee.

“We love this institution. But incredible colleagues leave because they are burned out and used up,” said Rachel Berey-Wingate, an employee with Shedd's public engagement department. Some have been “written up” when they are ill due to the aquarium’s inadequate sick leave, said Berey-Wingate, who is also a member of the organizing committee.

“What we want is for Shedd Aquarium — an institution focused on sustainability for marine life — to place an equal focus on making this a sustainable place to work,” Berey-Wingate said in a statement.

Workers at the aquarium announced plans to organize in April, joining the wave of employees unionizing at storied Chicago cultural institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Newberry Library.

In April, an open letter signed by 60 Shedd employees cited work-life imbalance, financial struggles and lack of communication from management, among other grievances, as reasons for unionizing. An “unsustainable working environment” has led to high turnover, “more staff injuries, high burnout rates, low morale and decreased animal welfare,” according to the letter.

“We have tried to tell management, but it has always fallen on deaf ears,” Rockholt said at Monday’s news conference. A labor union will give Shedd workers “a platform and voice to sit down with management as people.”

If certified, the union could represent hundreds of employees who work in animal care as aquarists and trainers, as well as in departments like education, facilities and guest relations.

Shedd Workers United asked CEO Bridget Coughlin to recognize the union without holding a time-consuming election in the coming weeks. After the news conference, organizers hand-delivered a letter to her office outlining their request for recognition from management. If Coughlin refuses, their petition will trigger a union election.

A Shedd spokesperson said in a statement: “Shedd Aquarium has received a formal petition detailing that the number of union cards signed by Shedd staff is sufficient to trigger a formal election in select departments at the aquarium. We are now focused on a timely and thorough review of the petition to help inform our next steps. Shedd has consistently emphasized the importance of choice and that every employee has the right for their perspective to be heard and accounted for. Our staff is the foundation of this institution, and we remain steadfast in fostering a culture of support, collaboration, and mutual respect as we move through this process together.”

The organizers' announcement comes after it filed a charge with the NLRB in mid-September that claimed Shedd management violated federal labor law. It said Shedd “discriminatorily enforced its no-solicitation policy to restrict union-related speech and solicitation while allowing other non-work related speech and solicitation."

The NLRB will undertake an investigation, according to Shedd Workers United. In May, organizers accused Shedd management of anti-union activities using “scare tactics and misinformation in an attempt to confuse, divide and intimidate workers,” according to a statement from Shedd Workers United.

Shedd Workers United formed under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. Nationwide, AFSCME represents 35,000 cultural workers — more than any other union — at museums and other institutions.