A vast majority of employees at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) — 94% — voted to form a union, Seattle Art Museum Workers United (SAMWU). The vote, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, covered staff at all three museum locations: the main building in downtown, the Asian Art Museum, and Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park. The latter is a free, open-air public park along Elliott Bay (2901 Western Avenue), featuring large-scale works by internationally renowned artists such as Alexander Calder and Richard Serra, and offering scenic views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound from the grounds. A total of 136 people participated in the vote: 97 voted in favor of the union and only 6 against.
More than 100 employees from over 20 departments — from marketing and visitor services to curatorial and educational programs — spearheaded the creation of the union. In their statement, the activists said they had long faced stagnant wages, dangerous working conditions, and high staff turnover, which leads to the loss of institutional knowledge and puts the preservation of exhibits at risk. Workers believe the union will help them gain real influence over leadership decisions and apply their experience to improve museum programs.
Museum administration representatives, meanwhile, said they have always considered employees their greatest asset. Public Relations Director Emily Hite confirmed her willingness to sit down at the bargaining table and, in good faith, reach a fair collective bargaining agreement. She emphasized that the museum approaches every conversation with the unique needs of different groups in mind and aims to provide stability and clarity for staff, while remaining a responsible steward of its mission.
The creation of this union is part of a nationwide wave of labor organizing in arts institutions. Previously, museum workers in New York formed unions at the Whitney, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum, as well as at major museums in Boston, Philadelphia, and Portland. Within SAM itself, in 2022, the security division (SEIU 6 union) already formed a union, and after lengthy negotiations and a 12-day strike in late 2024, it secured a contract. At the time, guards were seeking raises to match the high cost of living in Seattle, better health insurance, and increased staffing to reduce workload. As a result, the preliminary agreement included a significant pay increase, improved medical benefits, and additional workplace safety assurances. The new union, which represents far more workers, is expected to become a serious force in the dialogue with leadership.
Based on: Seattle Art Museum union wins vote