New York Transit Museum workers unanimously vote to unionize
Workers secured full support in the election, a rare outcome that strengthens their position heading into contract talks.
Labor and Capital
New York Transit Museum workers have voted to unionize in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, the latest cultural institution workforce to organize amid a broader push for labor protections across museums and arts organizations.
The NYTM Collective said in a statement last week that it had won its March 27 election with with 100% of ballots cast in favor of unionization among the bargaining unit's voting members.
“We are happy to announce that we won our NLRB election today, with 100% of the unit, clearly showing to management that our union is strong, inclusive and representative of the workforce at the museum,” the collective said. “Thank you to everyone who made this victory at the New York Transit Museum possible!”
The collective said it is now focused on bargaining for its first contract with museum management.
New York Transit Museum workers file NLRB union petition
NLRB records show that the petition was filed on March 3, with the election notice sent on Friday.
Adam Schrader
The workers publicly announced their intention to unionize through AFSCME Cultural Workers United, District Council 37, on February 4—and had sought for the museum to voluntarily recognize the union.
The union would cover 40 workers, including museum educators and staff in visitor experience, marketing, collections, development and public programs. It would not include any employees of the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
The workers have also created a petition seeking support for their unionization efforts, which has gathered 960 signatures so far.
The vote follows a wave of unionization efforts across New York cultural institutions in recent years. In January, workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art voted to unionize under Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers.
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