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Van Goghs, da Vincis, Picassos, & Labor Unions

 

A few weeks ago, curators, conservators, editors, and other employees at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City took one step closer to unionizing when the Technical, Office, and Professional Union, Local 2110, U.A.W. filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to conduct a union election.

The proposed bargaining unit, which would total around 160 professional and nonprofessional employees at the Guggenheim, apparently saw a renewed push following the coronavirus pandemic.  Notably, there is already one union in place at the Guggenheim:  The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 30, which saw art handlers, maintenance, mechanics, other Guggenheim employees vote to unionize in 2019.  As well, there are already unions in place at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

While the Guggenheim’s Director, Richard Armstrong, had voiced opposition to the 2019 unionization, it is not clear how this new unionization effort will be received.  If I were a betting man though, I would expect to see a second unionization at the Guggenheim sooner rather than later.


For additional information:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/arts/design/guggenheim-museum-curators-union.html

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