Brooklyn Museum, American Folk Art Museum, and Whitney Museum Unions Vote in Favor of Strikes
Unionized staff at the Brooklyn Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art voted to authorize strike action if contract negotiations do not yield satisfactory offers, according to Local 2110 UAW. The union said members voted overwhelmingly, though no strike deadline has been set because bargaining is ongoing. Whitney membership associate Derrick Charles, who has worked there since 2018 and earns $24 an hour, cited the 2026 NYC True Cost of Living Measure Annual Report estimating $34 an hour is needed for a single adult without children to meet New York City’s cost of living; the report also cites about $71,000 as the minimum annual salary for a single adult. The American Folk Art Museum noted it is bargaining “in good faith,” and the Whitney said it remains committed to reaching a “fair, reasonable contract.”
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Museum Power Plays, Union Strikes, and Sacred Heists