George Eastman Museum Workers Move to Unionize Under Workers United
The Short Version
- About 75 non-management workers at the George Eastman Museum filed an NLRB union election petition on August 31, citing wages that haven't kept pace with Rochester's cost of living, high turnover, and unclear job descriptions.
- Management declined to voluntarily recognize the union and hired Government Resources Consultants of America — a firm that has worked for Amazon — to hold small-group sessions with staff after the petition was filed.
- Worker Zachary Cabanas called the management sessions 'misleading,' a sign the campaign has already moved past filing into active contest.
- Union organizing at private, nonprofit art museums is up 221% since 2019, and unionized museum workers earn about 20% more than non-unionized counterparts — the wage gap Eastman workers are specifically pointing toward.
- An NLRB election date has not been announced; nearly all departments except security are eligible to vote when it is scheduled.
On August 31, roughly 75 workers at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester filed a union election petition with the National Labor Relations Board. Before filing, they had sent a formal letter to director Bruce Barnes naming their concerns. The George Eastman Museum union campaign was official.
What Workers Say Needs to Change
What Workers Say Needs to Change
The museum employs roughly 75 non-management workers — conservators, curators, restaurant staff, projectionists — and according to organizers, the problems have been building for years. Emma Rathe, programs and exhibition manager, is among the workers on record. Organizing workers told Urgent Matter Press that concerns about salaries, workplace safety, and employee turnover went unaddressed through years of internal advocacy before organizers filed authorization cards.
The three specific grievances workers name are concrete: unclear job descriptions, high turnover that keeps depleting institutional knowledge, and wages that have not kept pace with Rochester's cost of living. The bargaining unit they filed for covers nearly every department of the museum except security.
How the George Eastman Museum Union Campaign Unfolded
How the George Eastman Museum Union Campaign Unfolded
George Eastman Museum Workers United — GEMWU — filed their NLRB election petition on August 31 after a majority of eligible staff signed authorization cards. The museum declined to voluntarily recognize the union. Director Barnes responded: "We are currently consulting with attorneys and considering how to proceed appropriately."
Management's response drew direct worker criticism. According to Urgent Matter Press, the museum brought in Government Resources Consultants of America — a labor-relations firm whose past clients include Amazon — to hold small-group sessions with staff after the petition was filed. Zachary Cabanas, an assistant preservation officer at the museum, called the sessions' messaging "misleading."
A National Wave Reaches Rochester
A National Wave Reaches Rochester
The Eastman campaign is part of a documented surge in museum labor organizing. Union activity at private, nonprofit art museums has increased 221% since 2019, according to Rochester Beacon. The Museums Moving Forward report found that 65% of currently unionized museum workers organized after 2019 — a recent acceleration, not a long-established pattern.
The wage data is the concrete anchor: unionized museum workers earn approximately 20% more than their non-unionized counterparts, according to WXXI News. That gap is what the Eastman workers are pointing toward.
The NLRB election date has not been publicly announced. Workers across nearly every department of the museum except security are eligible to vote when it is scheduled.
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