The union for Chicago History Museum workers, formed in February with AFSCME Council 31, has accused museum management of retaliation against employees for organizing. In a letter to the board of trustees, the union alleges that four members were fired, five others threatened, and that on April 16, the senior HR director verbally accosted two visitor services employees with profanities and job threats in front of staff and visitors. The union represents nearly 70 employees including curators, librarians, and designers.
This dispute highlights the growing wave of unionization at Chicago's cultural institutions, reflecting broader labor tensions in the museum sector. The allegations of illegal retaliation could set a precedent for how museums handle organizing efforts, potentially affecting workplace policies and labor relations across the city's art and history organizations. The museum has not yet responded to the claims.