Unions

Last week, employees at the American Folk Art Museum and the Glenstone Museum voted separately in favor of unionizing. On June 6, the staff at the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) unanimously voted in favor of unionizing and joining with…

The workers at Denver Art Museum voted to unionize last week – making them the first unionized art workforce in Colorado. The workers successfully voted to become a part of AFSCME Council 18, a national organization composed of workers…

The employee union at the Art Institute of Chicago has secured a contract with the museum, assuring “across the board” wage increases. For more than a year, the  Art Institute of Chicago Workers United (AICWU), which comprises over 500…

Employees at the Minneapolis Institute of Art have staged a picket outside the facility amidst a unionization battle. In 2021, temporary workers at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), who call themselves ‘casuals’, joined the Office…

The year 2022 was a significant one for unions in the art world. The wave of unionization that began in 2019 was only accelerated after workers saw the fragility of their employment during the pandemic. Thus, everyone – museum workers,…

The workers at the Whitney Museum finally succeeded in joining a union, after months of effort. The workers at the museum had an almost unanimous vote of 96-1 in favor of joining the Local 2110. The group is a division of the United Auto…

The wave of unionizing among art workers in USA continues to spread across museums. The most recent example was seen at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Los Angeles. Around 50 workers from MoCA shared an Instagram post, expressing…

Unions, layoffs, closure and protests. The Marciano Art Foundation in Los Angeles was once considered the peaceful haven for the artworks obtained by its founders. In past one week, it has turned into a place of chaos. The…

As the calls for greater transparency in museums gain momentum, more and more workers in the industry are seeking to form unions of their own. The latest to join them was the Marciano Art Museum in Los Angeles. Around six dozen part-time…