Overview

• The Kennedy Center United Arts Workers, partnering with the UAW, formally petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election on May 15, 2025.
• Roughly 60% of eligible non-supervisory employees, spanning programming, education, marketing, and administrative roles, have signed union authorization cards.
• Union organizers aim to secure ‘for cause’ employment protections, increased transparency, and freedom from partisan interference in artistic programming.
• The unionization push follows nearly 37 layoffs, programming cancellations, and concerns over diminished communication under new leadership installed by President Trump in February.
• Kennedy Center leadership, under acting director Ric Grenell, has publicly opposed the union drive, while high-profile artists and shows have withdrawn in protest of recent changes.