Page 29 - Studio International - November 1971

refused to cross the picket lines, the gaining the reinstatement of the twelve; on a review and some alteration of the present
Association was able to prevent a considerable affiliation and certification; all had been passed structure. In effect, the staff has abdicated the
number of deliveries (such as food, art through. Each met with increasing resistance role, quite common in the museum field, of
shipments, and other items generally essential and insistence on managerial prerogatives. being the principle subsidiser of the Museum by
for the sustenance of the Museum). The New The Association views the contract as an accepting what it considers to be substandard
York City Sanitation Department did not pick astounding accomplishment which could cause salaries.
up the Museum's garbage for eight days, until major changes in American museums. Although the thirty-six dismissals will stand,
what appeared to be a highly irregular injunction Although the Trustees did not allow the and the Administration retained the right to
was issued. Picket duty, equally shared by thirty-six dismissals to be rescinded, the amount effect layoffs for the purpose of reduction in
junior and senior staff, covered all accesses to the of staff participation granted by the contract personnel, substantial extensions were granted
Museum and as many of its outposts as possible, (still to be formally signed) suggests that perhaps for some. In fact, the contract will require the
and was carried out on a 24-hour basis. the Board has substantially traded off absolute Director to review periodically all of the
Public reports were that the Museum was authority for the sake of retaining ostensible unimplemented layoffs which have been
continuing business as usual, but directors and authority in refusing to bend on the dismissals. announced. In line with the Association's strike
department heads were manning the bookstore A grievance procedure culminating in binding literature which stated that the Museum should
and ticket booths. Extensive, complicated, and outside arbitration will be established to deal make more vigorous attempts to seek support
probably expensive efforts were made to effect with all provisions of the contract. Association from federal, state, municipal, corporate and
deliveries of food, etc. by drivers who would representatives will have the right to appear foundation sources, the contract will contain a
cross the lines (and one delivery was reportedly before Trustee committees, and can request to provision obligating the Museum to intensively
made over the rooftop of an adjacent hotel, and appear before the entire Board (this request, seek support at all levels of government,
the Museum used its Harlem Art Carnival, a however, can be denied). The Director is stipulating a report deadline; it further states
commitment to community involvement, for obligated to communicate policy matters under that if additional funds are found be be available,
deliveries to be retrieved by rented trucks which consideration (including any proposed layoffs) the Museum will reconsider its announced
would then cross the picket lines). to the Association in advance of Trustee plans of programme and staff reductions.
The picket lines were not solemn, walking- committee and Board meetings, and after The Association's emphasis on the
back-and-forth rituals but instead became an decisions have been made. Each curatorial importance of seeking public funds goes along
activity of almost continual dialogue with the department will participate in the choice of any with what the recently-formed Partnership for
public. A fund for those running out of money new departmental director, and representatives the Arts is trying to do. As reported last
was generously provided for by a donation of a of the staff of the entire Museum will take part January in the New York Times,3 the Partnership
special edition of posters donated by Claes in consultations for the selection of any new is conducting a national drive for broader
Oldenburg, and support by numerous members director of the Museum. Promotions in support for the arts, including a campaign for a
of the art community, the public, and members curatorial and conservation departments have $200 million federal subsidy.
of the Museum was contributed by signatures on been made subject to a rational and participatory The organization points out that the United
petitions, including: Edward Albee, Willem de procedure not traditionally found in museums, States Government now outlays only 7 cents
Kooning, Shirley Clarke, Bernard Bertolucci, with a system of regular review and the formal per person annually for the arts, falling far
Lucy Lippard, Harold Rosenberg, Roy involvement of departmental colleagues in the behind West Germany, Sweden, Austria,
Lichtenstein, Bernard Malamud, Jacob decisions. A personnel review board and an Canada, Israel, and Great Britain, in that order
Lawrence, Arnoldo Pomodoro, Louise education review board will have equal (West Germany spends $2.42 per person).
Nevelson, Andy Warhol, Philip Guston, Hans Administration-Association representation. Amyas Ames, chairman of the Partnership for
Haacke, Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, Kate Millet, All of these provisions will give the staff the the Arts (he is also chairman of Lincoln Center
Max Lerner, Otto Preminger, Joseph H. authority to participate in Museum decisions; for the Performing Arts and of the New York
Hirshhorn, Lawrence Alloway, Robert C. the irony is that in so doing, they also recognize Philharmonic), says in their brochure, 'the
Scull, John Coplans, Edward Fry, Richard and authenticate the capabilities of a staff Partnership in the Arts rejects the role of
Bellamy, Barry Flanagan, Nancy Graves, presumably already considered qualified to hold bystander to the maiming of our cultural
Robert Breer, Dan Flavin, Lee Krasner, the positions for which it was employed. heritage. We can, and must, generate the
Alfonso Ossorio, and members of the staff of the But the contract looks to be a satisfactory power-bipartisan political power-to revitalize
Tate Gallery: Norman Reid, Ronald Alley, resolution both to the Museum and to the the arts.'
Martin Butlin, Michael Compton, Judith Association. Mr Hightower, as quoted in the The sequence of events leading up to the
Jeffreys, Leslie Parris, Ruth Rattenbury, Anne New York Times2, stated that he feels that 'the strike and the contract settlement at the
Seymour, William Vaughan, and Simon Wilcox. Museum did not in any way lose its prerogative Modern, and the almost invariable approach--
Artists, art workers, and members joined the in terms of managing the institution'. withdrawal pattern of management responses to
picket lines, and an active international campaign Paid sabbaticals, research leaves, weekly open the Association, read almost like a scenario
was conducted which elicited numerous and time for curatorial staff, and a substantial designed by the Administration and the
constructive responses. Financial and other tuition fund are other guarantees that will Trustees to stimulate the professional interests
support is still coming in; press and media operate, along with the system of promotions, of its staff, to urge it toward the final contractual
coverage was extensive. to stimulate the development of high standards assertion of professional self-respect, and to
Two weeks later, a contract containing most of museum work. This ramification of a formal encourage it to assume a large part of the
of the original proposals was accepted, and the contract should be of interest to any museum responsibility of maintaining a museum that is
strike ended. What had begun in January 1970 that takes itself seriously in a professional sense. vital, relevant, and humane. All privately-
as a relatively mild request to be heard The proposals for a rational and equitable supported museums should most certainly
collectively had developed into an almost salary structure have been temporarily consider it in their best interests to take a look
militant insistence on the right to be heard. The supplanted by a 7½ per cent across-the-board at the cards and anticipate constructively the
successive stages of making statements; increase (including an increase of over a ambitions and commitment of their staffs. q
circulating petitions; retaining legal counsel; thousand dollars in the minimum salary), 'Barr, Jr, Alfred H., ed., Masters of Modern Art, New
threatening a strike (last December) when the pending, of course, President Nixon's resolution York, The Museum of Modem Art, 1954. (preface
Administration made twelve budgetary firings of the wage freeze. In July, 1972, salary and foreword, respectively)
2 Sunday, 26 September 1971.
after promising that it would not do so, and negotiations will be re-opened and will be based Wednesday, 6 January 1971.
177