Tacoma Art Museum Workers Unanimously Ratify First Union Contract
After nearly three years of fighting, the workers at Tacoma Art Museum have successfully ratified their first union contract and joined WFSE/AFSCME.
Besides the notable economic and quality-of-life wins, their contract also makes history. Tacoma Art Museum Workers United (TAMWU) are the first to successfully organize an art museum in Washington state across all union-eligible departments.
The win would not have been possible without the tenacity of our members at TAM and the community of labor, artists, and allies who forced the museum to recognize our union.
Their contract victory built on their history-making union election victory in Fall 2023 in which ALL eligible workers voted union YES. Once again, ALL eligible workers voted YES to accepting their union contract – another unanimous victory affirming that when workers stick together, they win.
Read the complete agreement here
Not only is this TAMWU’s first collective bargaining agreement, but it is the first union contract at an art museum in Washington State that represents all union-eligible workers.
The Union Drive
The employees at Tacoma Art Museum believed that the museum's mission to “inspire broader perspectives and cultivate a compassionate future” could only be achieved if staff were treated with dignity and respect.
"We bring this museum to life every day," they announced when going public in 2022, "but our efforts have been undermined by un-livable wages, unsafe working conditions, lack of accountability and transparency, and a fear of retaliation when we raise concerns.
"We, the workers who keep TAM running, are excited to announce we have reached a supermajority of over 80% in support of unionizing. We are forming TAM Workers United, and we are joining with the growing national movement of museum workers in Cultural Workers United."
As AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United movement enters its fifth year of organizing, TAMWU’s contract victory builds on the momentum of cultural workers organizing and winning across the country.
Just this month, Cultural Workers United hit a major milestone: 50,000 cultural workers are organized with AFSCME!
Here in Washington, more cultural workers are organizing to win their unions and secure better pay, better benefits, better work/life balance, and hold their leadership accountable.
Want to join the fight and unionize your cultural institution? Contact us today to get started organizing.