LOS ANGELES – Workers at the largest art museum in the western United States, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), have voted overwhelmingly to unionize with AFSCME District Council 36. This was yet another achievement for AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United campaign.
The union election took place electronically Dec. 15-16, and the vote was a resounding 96% in favor. The American Arbitration Association facilitated the election after LACMA management rejected workers’ requests for voluntary recognition. Instead, LACMA management pushed for an election and took actions that workers said were aimed at weakening unionization efforts. These actions ceased after Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis wrote to LACMA management in support of the museum’s workers.
The new staff union, LACMA United, will represent over 300 workers across the museum, from curators and administrators to educators and art preparators — employees who care for the collections, develop exhibitions, maintain the museum’s infrastructure, and engage with audiences every day.
By winning their union election, LACMA workers reaffirmed their determination to not only have a voice in decisions that affect working conditions at the museum, but to also harness collective power to fight back against attacks on the cultural sector.
“I’m looking forward to having a stronger camaraderie with my fellow colleagues and having a seat at the table where we can have an open and honest dialogue with upper management as front-of-house staff,” said Ryan Baker, a visitor services associate at LACMA.
Jayne Manuel, a program administrator for collections management, said workers now have one voice and can use it to better collaborate with management “to usher in a healthier, more sustainable culture for our dedicated staff.”
“As unionized museum workers, we, alongside management, have the ability to shift the arts and culture field into a sector that builds a thriving workforce, rather than a sector known for its hardships,” Manuel said.
LACMA is the latest institution in Los Angeles to unionize, thanks to the Cultural Workers United campaign. Workers at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Academy Museum and Foundation, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and La Brea Tar Pits all formed unions through District Council 36 and won voluntary recognition for their unions.
LACMA workers first announced their unionization efforts on Oct. 29. They cited issues such as the lack of transparency or a voice on the job, high turnover, and wages that have not kept up with Los Angeles’ rising cost of living. In a letter to colleagues and senior management, workers also noted that as the museum neared completion of the new David Geffen Galleries — a project estimated to cost more than $700 million — ensuring the stability of staff should be equally crucial to the future of the museum.