Chicago's Cultural Workers Stand Up for Fair Pay and Rights
Cultural workers in Chicago are joining forces to demand better pay and working conditions, feeling undervalued and underpaid, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers at various museums and cultural sites have successfully formed unions and secured their first-ever contracts.
A Major Victory at the Griffin Museum
One of the latest victories is at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, where employees recently ratified their first union contract. This contract includes:
- An average 8% pay increase
- New workplace protections
The union represents over 120 employees in guest-facing roles and the education department.
A Growing Trend in Chicago
This success is part of a larger trend in Chicago. Since 2020, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 has been helping cultural workers organize. They now represent:
- 50,000 workers nationwide
- 2,500 Illinois cultural workers who have formed unions
Challenges and Disagreements
But it's not just AFSCME. Workers at the Chicago Botanic Garden are also organizing under the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board of Workers United. However, the process hasn't been smooth. There's a disagreement between workers and management about the steps needed to establish a union.
Demanding Better Pay and Benefits
Despite these challenges, workers are more vocal than ever. They're demanding better pay and benefits, especially with rising inflation and economic uncertainty. Museums are struggling too, with:
- About a third losing government grants or contracts
- More than half reporting fewer visitors in 2025 than in 2019
A Call for Recognition
But workers aren't backing down. They feel they've been taken for granted for too long. As one worker put it:
"What we do is very niche. If I wanted to be a librarian at a different national history museum, I'd have to pick up my life and move to another major city. They take advantage of that. They know that you are loyal to this place."
