Reunion for Meow Wolf

We, the workers of Meow Wolf,
are calling for a reunion THAT WILL INCLUDE EVERY MEOW WOLF WORKER,

NOT JUST THE BARGAINING UNIT.

TLDR

• There are real things that need to be addressed

• There are other ways to address them than a union & those other ways can be more progressive, creative, and flexible, while also getting the job done, not costing us dues, and not dividing the company

• Can we do that plz?

“You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.” -Buckminster Fuller

In much of life, but especially in creative work, the answer isn’t usually A or B, it’s C, which is a combination of both A and B. If A is the way Meow Wolf is being run now and B is the union, we propose that C is a middle road between those two options, a Reunion calling us to truly come together as a collective of all workers at Meow Wolf to collaboratively build a brighter day. We are advocating for collectivizing without unionizing so that the needs of Meow Wolf workers can still be met while not restricting us, charging us dues, or being subject to potential control from the CWA international union.

VOTING NO on the union is a vote for this Option C.

GRATITUDE FOR THE UNION

We are so grateful for the care and compassion that MWWC organizers are putting into the work they're doing. We are honored to work in a place where people care so much that they'll take on the equivalent of part time jobs outside of work to help raise these issues. There is no part of us that wants to stop or undo the momentum of this work and we completely agree with many of the issues the union has raised.

However, given the information we've been presented with and the research we've done, we feel strongly that this is not the right approach. We almost completely agree on the destination, we just don't agree with the approach for some of the following reasons:

WHY WE DON'T SUPPORT A UNION AT THIS TIME

Exclusion of Critical Voices

This is perhaps most central to our desire for another path. If the union is recognized, it will represent and be composed of a bargaining unit that only includes about half of the company. Many of our friends and colleagues are in management positions or in departments like HR that are excluded from participation in the union. We believe that their voices and the great deal of wisdom they have to offer deserve to be fully heard in these conversations as well. By taking the path of a Reunion instead of a union, we can have more open and honest dialogue with all perspectives from the company represented.

Freedom of Expression

Being able to communicate openly, honestly, and without reservation is a huge part of what makes Meow Wolf, such a unique place to work. The organizing efforts of the union have already impeded our ability to speak our truth with people at many levels of the company. If the union forms, we will no longer be able to speak with our supervisors if we’d like to request a change in compensation and will instead be speaking to a group of our peers who will collectively bargain for compensation changes for the entire bargaining unit at once. This does not create the kind of freedom of expression or choice that makes Meow Wolf what it is and we ultimately believe that it will lead to slower changes, more red tape, and more divisiveness within the company.

Faith in Meow Wolf

Meow Wolf certainly has more work to do. It has also certainly gone above and beyond in its re-examination of what makes a happy and healthy workforce. Many of us in the company have worked in a wide array of industries and feel that this is the best job we've ever had. We are proud of the compensation, benefits, and corporate culture that Meow Wolf has created to sustain us. While the vast majority of people in the arts and entertainment industries are out of work, we respect the incredibly difficult decisions that the company had to make during the layoffs in order for the rest of us to keep our jobs and see our projects through to completion. We recognize that structural change takes a long time and have faith in the work that we see Meow Wolf leadership undertaking for the betterment of our community.

We are honored by the work being initiated by the company in the realms of pay equity, compensation structures, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. We want Sweet Livity and our new Chief People Officer, Erin Hirsch, to have the opportunity to do their jobs and trust in their ability to help create many of the changes MWWC is asking for. Let's work with the people we already have on board to complete work that has already been initiated by the company before starting a new effort that will drastically change how we work and communicate with each other.

Lack of Union Transparency & Clear Communication

Many of us found out about the union within days of the public announcement and were not given the opportunity to participate in union meetings, especially if we expressed that we weren't in support of unionizing. MWWC has not created enough opportunity for true discourse prior to this decision and many of us lack faith that MWWC will hear our feedback or represent our needs any better than Meow Wolf leadership does currently. We feel strongly that open dialogue with all members of the company will be needed to put us on the right path forward.

CALL TO ACTION

Does our perspective resonate with you? We need help getting these thoughts out and here's how you can help!

1. Add your name to our list of supporters via this link or the Google form at the bottom of the page.

2. Tell your colleagues! There are certain restrictions on what we can and can't talk about during work hours, but outside of that, we'd be so grateful if you shared this site with other Meow Wolf employees so we can all make a more informed decision.

3. Send in any questions or thoughts you'd like addressed to reunionformeowwolf@gmail.com

4. Vote NO in the upcoming union election while still demanding that these issues be clearly addressed.