Museum workers all over the world have had enough and are demanding fair wages.
“These museum employees are demanding increased wages, citing unlivable salaries. It’s a rallying cry that has been heard at a growing number of institutions in recent years, as staff members seeking job security in a field known for its low pay have moved to organize. The movement gathered steam during the pandemic, as extended museum closures, widespread layoffs, and the resulting economic downturn laid bare the insecurities of non-unionized workplaces in the cultural sector.
The Tate strike, scheduled to run until December 2, is across its four locations, the Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives, with picketing at the first three locations. Over 150 workers from the Tate Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS Tate United), one of three unions at the museum, are walking out after 98 percent voted on November 11 in favor of a strike. The action will disrupt the opening of ‘Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals,’ an expected blockbuster.
At the Met, employees have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a union election. The proposed chapter will cover close to 1,000 employees, or about half of the museum’s staff, and stands to be one of the largest museum unions in the country. It will include curators, retail staff, conservators, and educators.”
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