Overview
- LACMA employees announced LACMA United with AFSCME District Council 36 to represent more than 300 staff across departments including curatorial, education, and guest services.
- Workers cite pay that has not kept pace with Los Angeles living costs, heavier workloads, high turnover, and frozen or vacated positions as key drivers.
- The union formally asked the executive team and board to recognize the unit by Nov. 5, and Director Michael Govan said leadership received the letter and is reviewing it.
- The push aligns with a new Museums Moving Forward report documenting entrenched pay inequities, burnout, and retention challenges across U.S. art museums.
- The effort follows recent union wins at MOCA, the Academy Museum, and the Natural History Museum/La Brea Tar Pits, as LACMA readies its David Geffen Galleries opening in April 2026.