Museum Leaders Should Recognize Their Employee Unions Immediately

**The Transformational Unionization Wave in U.S. Museums: Major Victories and Challenges Ahead**

In recent years, museums across the United States have witnessed a significant shift in labor dynamics as employees rally for unionization, marking a transformative era for the industry. Major victories, such as the successful efforts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where workers overwhelmingly voted in favor of unionization with 96% support, exemplify the momentum of this movement. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts have also announced their campaigns, highlighting a broader push for change in these cultural institutions.

Since the contemporary unionization wave began in 2019, union elections in private, nonprofit art museums have seen a 100% success rate, a testament to the organizing power of workers. However, despite these victories, only 21% of campaigns have received voluntary recognition, with management often insisting on elections. This insistence can strain labor-management relations and contradicts the mission statements of many museums by highlighting disparities in actions versus values.

Museum leaders often use elections as a means to maintain control, attempting to dissuade union votes and challenge worker eligibility, thus weakening union power. The National Labor Relations Act defines certain employees, such as managers and security guards, as ineligible for union membership due to potential conflicts of interest. This exclusion has been weaponized by museum leadership to delay and challenge union efforts.

Security guards, in particular, face an additional hurdle due to Section 9(3)(b) of the NLRA, which mandates a separation between guards and other staff. This provision, originally intended to prevent conflicts during strikes, has resulted in racial and functional siloing, given that many guards are people of color. Without voluntary recognition, guards are left to join police unions, form independent unions, or remain unprotected, exacerbating inequality within the institutions.

Unions have the potential to bridge racial wealth gaps and ensure equitable treatment for all workers. However, the museum sector’s potential remains limited by existing job classification divides. Despite these challenges, ongoing union efforts at places like The Met and DIA show that workers remain undeterred in their fight for better conditions.

In the face of political and cultural tensions, museums have a unique opportunity to align their operational practices with their proclaimed values by embracing voluntary recognition. Such a move fosters trust and cooperation between management and workers, paving the way for more inclusive and powerful unions. The lessons from LACMA and the ongoing efforts at The Met and DIA serve as a clarion call for all museums to adopt truly equitable practices and stand by their cultural commitments.