The labor union representing Shedd Aquarium workers claimed management fired a penguin trainer in retaliation for her union activism, according to a charge filed on Wednesday.
Shedd Workers United/AFSCME said aquarium management violated federal labor law by firing penguin and sea otter expert Michelle Nastasowski for joining coworkers to organize a union last year.
The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board regional office in Chicago. The NLRB will investigate the unfair labor practice charge and can recommend and enforce a remedy, Shedd Workers United/AFSCME said in a news release.
Nastasowski worked at Shedd for nine years. On Feb. 14, Shedd fired her and claimed she wasn’t performing essential job duties due to a workplace injury that happened at the aquarium.
“She was escorted from the building without even being allowed to say goodbye to the animals she trained, cared for and raised from infancy,” Shedd Workers United/AFSCME said in a news release.
In September 2023, Nastasowski slipped on concrete in an otter enclosure at Shedd and broke her back. She continued to work with limited accommodations, taking less than three months at home, according to the union.
When they formed their union, Shedd workers called for improved workplace safety to prevent accidents like the one that caused Nastasowski’s injury.
“Shedd management’s retaliatory firing is wrong,” Roberta Lynch, AFSCME Council 31 executive director, said in a news release. “They should return Michelle to work with retro pay, an apology and the commitment to never do it again.”
Nastasowski was a member of the union’s organizing committee. She said in a news release, “As Shedd workers, we love the animals, the visitors and the mission. We formed our union to make Shedd a better, safer workplace. No one should be hurt on the job like I was, and nobody should ever be wrongly fired for exercising their rights.”
On Wednesday, Shedd Aquarium said it had not received the NLRB charge and “disagrees with the accusations referenced,” according to a Shedd Aquarium spokesperson.
Shedd said in an emailed statement, “We recognize that as organizations go through a union process, individual personnel matters draw heightened emotion and scrutiny. While of course we will not discuss individual matters in respect for each person involved, we want to be clear that any changes in employment are made in alignment with our established protocols, which ensure fairness and consistency across the aquarium.”
Shedd Workers United/AFSCME was certified as a union on Nov. 12, 2024, according to a union spokesperson. More than 75% of employees voted in favor of union representation. The union includes about 180 employees including guest relations, learning and community, development and others.
A wave of workers at other cultural institutions in the city such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Newberry Library have also formed unions in recent years.