Before the strike on November 21st, Scott Stulen said in an email to all-staff:

"The comprehensive proposal we put forward on October 31 was SAM’s last, best and final offer—meaning it reflects the best benefits we can offer. We simply cannot do more."

After 12 days of striking, that story changed. We have finally reached a tentative agreement with SAM and it was all possible thanks to the strength of VSOs! We all stood together on the picket line through the wind and cold. While we did not win everything we wanted, we went far beyond where SAM leadership said it was initially possible on wage and retirement. That is due to the combined efforts of VSOs in sustaining this union push and work stoppage beyond what many of us believed was possible for an independent union.

SAM agreed to a union shop provision in the Tentative Agreement, a term SAM leadership previously declined to entertain.
SAM also increased their offer on retirement for VSOs to restore the employer-matching 403b contributions to pre-pandemic levels over the next 3 years. SAM immediately announced, after sharing the Tentative Agreement, that they would extend the new benefit (increased retirement) to the entire museum staff, effectively restoring all staff’s retirement benefits to pre-pandemic levels. VSOs are proud to have contributed to all SAM staff’s quality of benefits in this tangible material way. SAM VSO Union will continue to represent and advocate for a strong unionized security department and better workplace conditions for us all.