LACMA Workers Launch Union Drive, Seek Recognition by Nov. 5

Overview

• Staff announced LACMA United with AFSCME District Council 36 to represent more than 300 employees across departments including curatorial, education and guest relations.
• Organizers requested voluntary recognition from the museum’s executive team and board by Nov. 5, and news outlets reported the museum had not yet responded.
• Workers say wages have not kept pace with Los Angeles’ costs as responsibilities have expanded due to turnover, limited resources and frozen or vacated positions.
• The stated goals include fairer compensation, expanded benefits and increased transparency in institutional protocols and resources.
• The campaign tracks with recent union wins at other Los Angeles museums and coincides with an industry report finding entrenched pay and promotion inequities, as LACMA prepares to open the Peter Zumthor–designed David Geffen Galleries in April 2026.