NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) -- Staff members at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art voted overwhelmingly to unionize with the United Auto Workers after a years-long organizing effort at one of the largest art museums in the world.
Workers approved joining the labor union with 76% support following more than four years of organizing. Employees have been seeking greater job security, pay equity and clearer workplace policies, the UAW said in a statement Friday.
The vote brings the Met’s workforce under a union that has increasingly represented employees beyond the auto industry, including in higher education and cultural institutions. The Met employs roughly 2,000 people.
“As one of the world’s leading art museums, the Met has long been committed to supporting its exceptional staff with highly competitive salaries and benefit packages that surpass industry standards,” a spokesperson for the museum said in an emailed statement.
Met employees will be represented by UAW Local 2110, which already represents workers at several New York City institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the Whitney Museum of American Art.