Friday, July 24, the proud employees who keep Bay Area Discovery Museum functioning—including workers from Museum Experience, School and Community Programs, Facilities, Exhibits, Membership and Visitor Services, Research and Evaluation, and Development—leafletted visitors outside the museum, alerting the community to how museum leadership is failing to live up to its mission.

Employees say they work at the museum because they share its core belief: that every child has the potential to grow and thrive through joyful play. They say that, instead of supporting that mission executive management’s misplaced priorities have created instability and have made it harder for employees to do the work they care about.

Nat Forkin-Ward, an SEIU 1021 member and lead program facilitator for the museum, said, “I am so proud of the work we do here to foster children’s love of learning, creative confidence, and ability to think critically. That should be management’s focus. Instead, they are dragging out negotiations at the expense of employee morale.”

Jordan Bakhtegan, an SEIU 1021 member and facilities technician for the museum, said, “We formed our union to bring fairness and stability to our workplace so that our dedicated staff have the support they need to carry out the museum’s mission. We show up every day of the year to make this place everything it can be and to provide a safe haven where children in our community can explore and have unique, meaningful experiences. We need the tools and support to do that—and we need leadership to show up for us.”

Bay Area Discovery Museum employees formed their union with SEIU 1021 in February 2025. In the 17 months since, employees say management has tied up negotiations with overreaching proposals that would completely undermine the union’s ability to function. 

During negotiations, museum management has: 

• Refused to agree to pay increases to keep up with the high cost of living, including regular pay increases based on longevity which are the standard for employees in similar institutions, creating severe recruitment and retention problems. 
• Refused to commit to maintaining current medical benefits. The employer wants the right to unilaterally slash medical benefits during the contract. 
• Insisted on excessive anti-union management rights to control operations and discipline employees. 

This leafletting action takes place after SEIU 1021 members overwhelmingly passed a strike authorization vote on Wednesday, July 15, by 92%.

On Wednesday, July 22, the North Bay Labor Council voted to sanction the potential strike, leveraging its support.

John Ruszel, an SEIU 1021 member and exhibit technician for the museum, said, “The people I work alongside pour their hearts into this museum. They bring dedication and care to their work, inspire children through science education, and create joyful experiences for our guests. Going on strike is not something I take lightly, but management increasingly appears determined to leave us no other option. I feel a real obligation to stand with my coworkers until we win a fair deal.”