Workers at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum have voted in favor of unionizing.
The ballot count on Thursday was 36 in favor to 28 against being represented by AKG Workers United, according to results released by the museum.
The newly created bargaining unit consists of 71 workers in visitor experience, facilities, and food and beverage.
“We appreciate our team’s engagement with this process and their participation in today’s election to make their voices heard,” Jillian Jones, the museum’s deputy director, said in a statement. “We respect the outcome of the election and are committed to bargaining in good faith with the union.
“The Buffalo AKG has long cultivated a collaborative work environment and has taken many steps to ensure that the museum is a welcoming and supportive place to work,” Jones said. “We remain steadfast in that vision and look forward to the work ahead.”
Buffalo AKG workers launch organizing effort
AKG Workers United hailed the results and called for swift movement toward a first contract.
“There is no reason for contract negotiations to take more than a few weeks or months if the museum is serious about bargaining,” said Sophie Goodwin, a visitor experience associate.
“We hope that this new relationship between the AKG and our union will become a model for what a collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership can look like,” she said. “Our goal is to make the museum the best it can be for everyone, and we truly believe that we’re on the right track to make that happen.”Â
Organizers of the Buffalo AKG campaign went public in November, and on Jan. 3 filed a petition for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.
The union campaign comes after the Buffalo AKG reopened in 2023, following a $200 million renovation and expansion that has drawn raves and crowds.
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