DETROIT – Workers at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) are coming together to form a union with AFSCME Michigan 925. They’re calling on museum leadership to voluntarily recognize their efforts to build a fair, transparent, and respectful workplace.
The campaign, announced by DIA Workers United, includes staff from across departments who share a deep commitment to the museum’s mission of connecting people to art and culture. They say the same values that make the museum a cornerstone of the community should also guide how workers are treated.
“Strong cultural institutions make strong communities,” said Francesca Catalfio, spokesperson for DIA Workers United and a visitor experience associate at the museum. “We’re proud of the work we do to connect people to art and culture every day. Now we’re organizing for the same respect and dignity we show the public because a stronger DIA starts with a fair workplace for everyone.”
DIA Workers United joins a growing movement of cultural workers nationwide organizing with AFSCME. Our union’s Cultural Workers United campaign helps these workers secure fair pay, job security, and a real voice in decisions that shape their work. Fifty thousand workers at museums, libraries, zoos and other cultural institutions have won a voice on the job by forming a union with AFSCME — more than any other union.
Workers at the DIA say this effort is about strengthening the museum from within. By negotiating together, they hope to enshrine the principles of fairness and equity into a collective bargaining agreement that supports both staff and the community they serve.