Denver Art Museum Staff Move to Unionize

Workers at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) on January 11publicly announcedtheir intention to unionize under the auspices of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Cultural Workers United Council 18. According to apress releaseissued by the organizing staff, a supermajority of roughly 250 eligible employees have agreed to unionize as Denver Art Museum Workers United (DAMWU) in an effort to gain better wages, which take into account worker experience and tenure as well as inflation. The workers pointed to the rapidly rising cost of living in the metropolitan area as a key driver behind their unionization effort. Also at issue are improved transparency on the part of management and better safety procedures. No specific details have yet been revealed regarding any of the above demands.RelatedPENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS TO SHUTTER COLLEGE IN 2025INDIANA UNIVERSITY CANCELS MAJOR EXHIBITION OF PALESTINIAN ARTIST SAMIA HALABY “Many colleagues have a connection with the community at large through the museum and through the art, and we do believe in the museum’s core values, a couple of which are inclusivity and respect,” DAM gallery host Trudy Lovato told theDenver Post. “That’s helping to inform why we’re doing what we’re doing.

It will make a better internal culture at the museum, and a better experience for the public.” The organizers are seeking voluntary recognition from museum management, with whom they met this past Thursday. Should they fail to receive it, they will hold an election, which they say will “draw out the process and waste taxpayer money.” According toArtnetNews, the organizing workers have already received encouragement from management. “If unionization is the path they choose, the museum will work within that system,” DAM spokesperson Andy Sinclair told thePost.“The Denver Art Museum prioritizes its employees and their needs and looks forward to learning more about the specific goals of the proposed unionization.” AFSCME officials noted that the unionizing workers chose January 11 as their announcement date in honor of the Lawrence Textile Mill Strike in Massachusetts: Colloquially known as the Bread and Roses strike, the historic 1912 walkout proved the organizing power of an immigrant, ethnically diverse, and largely female labor force..