MBAWU Updates February 12, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

We are Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers United (MBAWU).

MBAWU was started by and is made up of Aquarium workers only, and we continue to grow with increased participation of additional colleagues.We are EXCITED for the formation of MBAWU! Together we will have the power to voice and enact meaningful change.

We were hopeful that through Voluntary Recognition (VR), we would be able to promptly begin the work outlined in our public letter. As you may be aware, management has denied MBAWU VR. We were hopeful that MBA management would join many cultural institutions in California that have accepted VR and avoid the time and expense of a formal NLRB election.

We would like to reiterate that VR is filed when a majority of employees already support union representation based on signed authorization cards. We would also like to reiterate that during our solidarity chats we have informed colleagues and discussed concerns before asking staff if they would like to sign a union card. It is disappointing to see the false narrative that we are coercing or pressuring people to sign cards. We remain respectful of everyone’s choices and the time they need to come to a decision.

As disappointed as we are with management’s decision to not recognize the wishes of a majority of our co-workers,, MBAWU remains committed and hopeful in building solidarity and improving the lives of all our staff and colleagues. So, what’s next?

1. We have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a secret ballot election.We have been assigned an NLRB Agent, a federal government employee tasked with making sure that we have a fair election, free from management interference.

2. We will continue to have conversations with folks we have not talked to yet. If we have not had a chance to reach someone, we hope to talk to you soon! If you have any questions remember you can email us at [email protected].

We will have a social on Thursday 2/13 @ noon (PST) in the Bing Boardroom - pizza will be provided!
We will have a remote social on Friday 2/14 @ noon (PST). Click here to join!

3. We are continuing to collect union cards – sign yours today if you’d vote “yes!” for MBAWU. We are still collecting signatures for two reasons:

We want to make sure that ballots are mailed to your most current address which…
Helps us keep track of who is standing with us so we know who we still need to talk to!

****Note: As a reminder, your union card is anonymous to management and they will not know that you signed.****

4. The NLRB will oversee a fair election process since management denied us Voluntary Recognition:

Management attempted to file for an on-site-only election with no option for mail in ballots. This is not inclusive or equitable, especially for our remote staff or staff who cannot come on site.
We are proposing an all-mail ballot, to give everyone the freedom and space to vote in the privacy of their own home, and protect the rights of remote workers and workers who live far from the aquarium.
In that case, ballots will be mailed out to eligible staff (pre-paid postage). Staff will vote “yes” or “no”. Once we’ve achieved 50%+1 of “yes” votes, we will be legally recognized as our union, MBAWU. From there, we can begin the process to elect representatives from amongst ourselves and bargain for our first contract.

In solidarity!

Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers United (MBAWU)