Staff at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) announced their intent to unionize as part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The new union, Lacma United, will represent over 300 museum employees across curatorial, visitor services, education, and publications departments. Workers cite fairer compensation, expanded benefits, and increased transparency as key motivations, and have requested voluntary recognition by November 5. The effort joins AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36, which has supported union campaigns at other Los Angeles institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
This unionization push matters because it comes at a pivotal moment for Lacma, which is nearing completion of its $720 million new building, the David Geffen Galleries, designed by Peter Zumthor and set to open in April 2026. The museum also just held its most successful Art+Film gala, raising nearly $6.5 million. The organizing reflects a broader national trend of museum workers unionizing across the U.S., spurred by pandemic-era layoffs, stagnant wages, and systemic inequities, reshaping how cultural labor is valued at major institutions.