LOS ANGELES — Employees at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have successfully voted to unionize under AFSCME District Council 36, as announced by the new union on December 17. This move follows the staff’s initial declaration in October to create a union called LACMA United, which aims to represent over 300 workers spanning various departments such as curatorial, administration, education, and preparation. In a letter dated October 29 addressed to the museum board, the staff highlighted demands for “fairer compensation, expanded benefits, and increased transparency,” noting that salaries have not kept pace with Los Angeles’s cost of living.
“We are so ecstatic,” said Jayne Manuel, a program administrator for Collections Management at LACMA, speaking to Hyperallergic. “Nearly all of our bargaining unit turned out. It was near unanimous, with 96% voting for the union.” The museum’s leadership did not acknowledge the union voluntarily by the November 5 deadline, leading to a formal vote. “Instead, LACMA pushed for an election and leaned into union avoidance tactics,” stated the December 17 announcement. This opposition ceased following Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis’s supportive letter to LACMA staff, backing their rights to organize without management retaliation.
LACMA now joins other LA cultural institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in unionizing with AFSCME. A LACMA spokesperson emphasized the museum’s commitment to collaboration with DC 36 and staff, respecting the majority’s decision. As the largest museum in the western United States, LACMA hosts over 150,000 artworks and attracts nearly 1 million visitors annually. It is concluding a $720 million renovation of its campus.
The new union underscored the importance of staff stability for the museum’s future in their announcement. The forthcoming steps include forming a bargaining committee and conducting a survey among the bargaining unit to prioritize issues for their contract. “As you can imagine, it’s been a hectic time since the union went public,” Manuel stated. “But we don’t want to delay this. After the holidays, we’ll hit the ground running.”
