Staff at Buffalo AKG Art Museum Move to Unionize

Workers at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum on November 16 submitted to museum director Janne Sirén and the institution’s board of directors a letter announcing their intention to unionize. Among their goals are the establishment of equitable practices and an inclusive workplace where staff feel valued. The effort encompasses more than a hundred employees across the departments dedicated to preservation and safety, food and beverage, learning and creativity, and facilities. “We recognize that Art and the Labor movement are aligned in collective struggle, and we believe that unionizing is the best path to ensure that we, the workers at the Buffalo AKG, can all take pride of ownership and feel a secure sense of belonging in our workplace and the broader community,” wrote the organizing employees in a statement posted toX(formerly Twitter) andInstagram.RelatedCATHERINE CHRISTER HENNIX (1948–2023)INDIGENOUS ART CURATOR WANDA NANIBUSH DEPARTS ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO Union spokesperson Casey Moore told theBuffalo News, which broke the story, that they hoped to join Workers United, which represents 80,000 employees at business concerns including Starbucks, Spot Coffee, and the Lexington Co-op.

The union organizing committee is currently canvasing internally to gain support; a vote for unionization has yet to be held. The museum in a statement acknowledged the organization attempt, writing, “The Buffalo AKG supports the right of workers to organize. Our employees are absolutely vital to our community, and we are grateful for their efforts to ensure that the museum is a welcoming resource for all. We look forward to productive conversations ahead.” The institution, which was previously known as the Albright-Knox Gallery, reopened its doors to the public earlier this year, following a four-year $230 millionrenovation and expansion, during which it was closed.

In unionizing, Buffalo AKG workers join staff at art institutions across the nation, from theTacoma Art Museumto theArt Institute of Chicagoto New York’sSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum, who are organizing to obtain better wages and protections in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which highlighted the precarity of many museum jobs..