Buffalo AKG Art Museum Workers Protest Layoffs of 13 Union Members
# **Buffalo AKG Art Museum Faces Backlash Over Employee Layoffs and Union Disputes**
## **Introduction**
The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly known as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, has recently found itself in the midst of controversy after laying off 13 employees and reorganizing staff in a manner that effectively eliminates union positions. The decisions have sparked allegations of unfair labor practices and union-busting, drawing national attention to the ongoing labor struggles within the arts sector.
## **Background: Buffalo AKG’s Workforce and Unionization Efforts**
Over the past year, workers at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, particularly those in visitor experience (VEX), facilities management, and food services departments, have engaged in unionization efforts. Employees formed **Buffalo AKG Workers United** to advocate for better working conditions, fair compensation, and job security.
In December 2023, the museum’s workers secured their first **union contract**, marking a significant victory for employee rights. However, shortly after this agreement, museum leadership announced staff reductions that many believe directly target unionized employees. The affected positions include **three full-time and ten part-time Visitor Experience Associates**, a role historically responsible for tasks such as staffing front desks, guiding visitors, and maintaining gallery operations.
## **Union-Busting Allegations and Staff Reductions**
Buffalo AKG Workers United has strongly criticized the museum’s decision, asserting that these layoffs, combined with subsequent hiring for **non-union security positions**, are part of a larger effort to dismantle union representation.
According to Casey Moore, **Organizing Director of Workers United Upstate NY**, the VEX department has been reduced by more than half since workers began organizing. These latest layoffs follow an earlier round that eliminated 15 unionized VEX roles.
Adding to union concerns, the museum **recently posted job listings** for “**Preservation and Safety Associates**,” a newly created non-union security guard position. Critics argue that this move is designed to replace unionized personnel with non-union employees, reducing worker bargaining power.
## **Museum’s Justification and Public Response**
Andrea Harden, **Director of Talent and Culture at Buffalo AKG**, defended the decision, stating that the reorganization was based on operational experience gained since the museum’s **$230 million renovation and expansion.** She claims that the **Visitor Experience Associate role did not function as intended**, leading to a restructuring that shifts security responsibilities away from VEX staff and back to a separate Preservation and Safety department.
Despite this explanation, museum employees and community supporters strongly oppose the move, staging protests outside the museum’s **First Friday programming events.** Protesters have used signs, inflatable Scabby the Rat displays (a symbol of labor disputes), and social media campaigns to call for public scrutiny of the museum’s actions.
## **Wider Implications for the Arts Sector**
The controversy surrounding Buffalo AKG is part of a broader **trend of layoffs and financial struggles across cultural institutions**. Recently, workers at the **Brooklyn Museum** and the **Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum** have also faced major staff reductions, with some layoffs framed as cost-cutting measures even as senior leadership salaries remain untouched.
Brandon Mancilla, **a regional director for UAW**, spoke out about the situation during a rally at the Brooklyn Museum, denouncing what he called an **“austerity culture”** prevalent in major arts institutions.
With arts institutions relying on public and private funding, critics argue that transparency and labor protections should be prioritized rather than cost-cutting at the expense of front-line workers—who often serve as the face of museums.
## **Worker Voices: Impact on Employees**
For many affected workers, the layoffs represent not just job loss, but **financial insecurity, career setbacks, and betrayal by an institution they believed in.**
Tayia Woolford, a Visitor Experience Associate at Buffalo AKG, shared her disappointment:
*”The museum told me we were a family. Now I’m left in the dust, in the middle of a housing crisis.”*
Such firsthand accounts highlight the **human consequences of institutional decisions**, reinforcing the frustration felt by many museum workers who are dedicated to cultural preservation yet are financially vulnerable in their roles.
## **Conclusion**
The situation at Buffalo AKG Art Museum is emblematic of a larger labor rights battle within the arts community. As workers fight for job security and fair wages in an industry often dependent on public goodwill and philanthropy, institutions must carefully balance financial sustainability with ethical employment practices.
The ongoing backlash against Buffalo AKG’s layoffs suggests that employees and community members are not willing to accept perceived union-busting tactics quietly. Whether public outcry and worker organizing efforts will force the museum to reconsider its policies remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Buffalo AKG’s handling of these layoffs may serve as **a cautionary tale** for other museums navigating post-pandemic financial uncertainty and unionization