Union Momentum Reshapes Labor Dynamics at LACMA

Tension between museums and their often-minimum-wage staff is nothing new. The AFSCME was formed in 1932 during the Great Depression, specifically to help workers across libraries and museums advocate for improved conditions. However, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that union organization became more widespread among museum employees, when the Museum of Modern Art’s Professional and Administrative Staff Association began picketing for better management and compensation. This led to an eight-week strike in 1973. They (unsuccessfully) sought a seat on the board of trustees and the ability for full curators to join the union.

AFSCME now represents more than 50,000 employees at cultural organizations. Among them are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Philadelphia Art Museum, and Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. This is not to say that putting a union in place is an easy feat. The process can take upward of two years if the corresponding museum refuses to recognize it.

Even so, pandemic-era layoffs and economic uncertainty have prompted increased interest in collective bargaining units among museum professionals. Between 2019 and 2022, employees at nearly two dozen art organizations formed unions, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim. This movement comes at a time when museums are grappling with how to step into the 21st century with timely and culturally sensitive materials. Yet, paying minimum wage and offering limited benefits runs in the opposite direction, prompting some to point out the hypocrisy.

LACMA employees are hoping that their newly formed union will provide some relief or reward for high staff turnover, increased responsibilities, limited resources, and unfilled positions during the past few years. Whether they succeed in budging museum leadership at a time when they are narrowly focused on funding and completing new galleries remains to be seen. If leadership’s initial reaction is any gauge, it may be an uphill battle.