Employees at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have formed a union called LACMA United in association with AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36. In a letter dated October 29 addressed to museum leadership, a supermajority of eligible staff across departments requested voluntary recognition by November 5, citing wages that have not kept up with the rising cost of living and the need for fairer compensation, expanded benefits, and greater transparency. The effort comes ahead of the opening of LACMA's new Peter Zumthor–designed David Geffen Galleries, scheduled for next April.
This unionization effort matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between institutional ambitions—such as LACMA's costly new building and reimagined permanent collection—and the financial struggles of its workforce. If recognized, LACMA United would join a growing wave of museum unionizations across the U.S., including at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Academy Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, signaling a broader push for labor rights and equity within major cultural institutions. The outcome could set a precedent for how museums balance expansion and staff welfare.