When Jon Feng joined the staff of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston two years ago, he was realizing a dream. The museum was one of his favorite places; he visited it practically every other week. Feng never finished college, and he remembers that a bachelor’s degree was preferred on the application to become a representative in the member and visitor services department — essentially, a customer support role. Somehow, though, he got hired. “I really never expected to be able to work there at all,” he says.
Feng, who previously worked in food service, was impressed with his MFA colleagues’ willingness to advocate for themselves. But when the pandemic hit, his department was furloughed, and ultimately about half were laid off, he says. When an ongoing unionizing effort picked up steam in the summer, Feng decided to get more involved. “It felt empowering,” he says.