RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Unionized employees returned to work at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Thursday one day after striking, in an escalating a labor dispute over wages that has now spilled into the garden’s popular “Groovin in the Garden” concert series.
Members of LGBG Workers United, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union, launched what the union described as their second Unfair Labor Practice strike.
The IAM Union claims Lewis Ginter is engaging in regressive bargaining. The garden denies that claim.
Grammy-nominated musician Jesse Welles, who was scheduled to perform at the garden Wednesday evening, canceled his show after learning of the strike.
In an Instagram post to his 2.2 million followers, Welles wrote that he would not cross the workers’ picket line and had a message for garden leadership: “Pay a living wage or get lost.”
Welles rescheduled his show for Friday, Sept. 25, at The National in Richmond. He said tickets from the canceled date would remain valid and that refunds would be available for those unable to attend the new date.
Musician Graham Nash also canceled his July 31 show in solidarity with striking workers, according to his social media account.
LGBG Workers United said the average bargaining unit employee earns $17.52 per hour.
Workers have referenced the MIT Living Wage Calculator, which estimates the living wage for a single adult with no children in Henrico County at approximately $24.98 per hour.
Ella Fishman, an assistant horticulturist at Lewis Ginter, said the garden’s current offer of a 3% wage increase would amount to roughly 25 cents per hour based on her pay of $16.50 per hour.
“A living wage doesn’t mean like a wage to get rich off of,” Fishman said. “It means a wage to afford everything you need to have a healthy and dignified life. So I make almost $8 less than that.”
Fishman said unionized workers have not received a pay increase in two years since organizing.
She said she previously worked in landscaping and took a pay cut to work at the garden to advance her career in horticulture.
Lucas Jacoby, a maintenance coordinator who has worked at the garden for three and a half years, said he has participated in contract negotiations and described the process as difficult.
“It’s not the easiest thing in the world to just go out and find a new job,” Jacoby said. “And then on top of all that, we’re all very passionate about the garden. We all love the garden.”
Athena Vance-Wilder worked in guest services at Lewis Ginter for approximately one month before leaving for another position.
She said she earned $15 per hour and was scheduled for fewer hours than she was hired for, including on days she had indicated she was unavailable.
“I gotta buy cat food, I gotta buy me food, I gotta pay rent,” Vance-Wilder said.
In a statement to 12 On Your Side, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden said it “remains committed to the bargaining process with the IAM Union and continues to negotiate in good faith.”
The garden said it has provided employees with four pay raises in five years, internal promotion opportunities, 35 paid days off per year for full-time staff, and additional benefits.
It said wage increases have ranged from 3% to 7% over the past six years and that it regularly benchmarks compensation against similar nonprofit employers, including museums and other botanical gardens.
Lewis Ginter also said it has covered the majority of health benefit cost increases in recent years so those costs are not passed on to employees, and that it transparently lists wages in job postings.
The garden said it is a nonprofit that relies on donations and admission fees, and that it intends to continue investing in staff “without compromising the Garden’s future or our mission.”
A garden representative said negotiations are ongoing.
No date for the next bargaining session had been announced as of Thursday.
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