The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) recently decided against voluntarily recognizing LACMA United, a union formed by a substantial number of its employees. This decision, opting instead for a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election, has introduced delays, particularly as the NLRB's operations are currently affected by a federal government shutdown. This development follows a period of growing advocacy from museum staff, who are seeking improved working conditions and remuneration.
This situation underscores a broader trend within the cultural sector, where employees are increasingly organizing to address concerns regarding compensation and job stability. The museum's choice to pursue an NLRB election, rather than granting immediate recognition, highlights the complexities and potential roadblocks in the process of union formation, especially when institutions navigate public funding and institutional changes.
LACMA's Stance on Union Recognition
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art's leadership has chosen not to grant voluntary recognition to LACMA United, the union recently established by hundreds of its staff members. This decision steers the institution towards a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election as the next step in the unionization process. This approach is anticipated to prolong the union's efforts to gain official recognition, particularly given that current federal government operations have halted NLRB elections. The union, formed in collaboration with the AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36, has vocalized demands for salaries that keep pace with the rising cost of living in Los Angeles, enhanced job security, equitable compensation structures, improved benefits packages, and greater transparency in institutional procedures and resource allocation.
In a significant development, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has opted against the voluntary recognition of LACMA United, a union representing a large segment of its workforce. This move channels the process through a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election. The union has expressed disappointment, viewing this as a deliberate deferral of its democratic efforts, especially as the NLRB's functions are presently suspended due to a government shutdown. Employees from various departments at LACMA initiated the unionization drive in late October, aligning with the AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36. Their primary objectives include securing wages commensurate with the high cost of living in the region, ensuring long-term employment stability, and advocating for more transparent institutional governance. This push for unionization comes as LACMA prepares for the inauguration of its new Peter Zumthor-designed building, an event expected to redefine the museum's spatial and curatorial presentation.
The Broader Implications of LACMA's Decision
LACMA United has voiced its displeasure regarding the museum's decision, interpreting it as an attempt to postpone rather than embrace the collective will of its employees. The union highlighted the paradox of the museum presenting itself as a more collaborative and less hierarchical entity with the opening of its new David Geffen Galleries, while simultaneously resisting a more equitable relationship with its staff. The AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36 has a proven track record of facilitating union formation in other prominent Los Angeles museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, as well as nationally recognized institutions. LACMA United emphasized the museum's status as a public-benefit corporation, receiving significant public funding, making management's position on union recognition particularly contentious.
The choice by LACMA's management to defer voluntary union recognition has been met with significant concern by LACMA United, which perceives this action as undermining the democratic principles advocated by its workers. The union points out the dissonance between the museum's public image—especially with the upcoming unveiling of the David Geffen Galleries as a symbol of institutional transformation and collaboration—and its internal labor relations. The AFSCME Cultural Workers United, the broader organization supporting LACMA United, has been instrumental in organizing workers at numerous cultural institutions across the country, demonstrating a widespread movement for employee rights within the arts sector. The union further contends that LACMA's reliance on over $30 million in annual public funding, as a county museum, heightens the expectation for the institution to be responsive to its employees' collective bargaining rights, leading to a filing with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
