Buffalo AKG Workers United.

As The Buffalo AKG Workers United, we want to maintain what we love about working at the Buffalo AKG while empowering ourselves to advocate for safer working conditions, sustainable wages, widespread job security, and benefits.

We are the workers who keep the Buffalo AKG running.

The Buffalo AKG Art Museum has a legacy of being a forward-thinking leader in the art world. We have been inspiring, educating and empowering visitors with our world-renowned collection since 1862.

As staff members of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, we want to build on this pioneering history by ensuring that, as a workforce, transformation, innovation, and growth come with respect, integrity, and fairness.

Learn about our cause

What do the steps to form a union look like for us?

Recognizing Common Issues: Workers within AKG identify shared concerns regarding wages, working conditions, job security, benefits, or other workplace-related matters.
Gathering initial interest: Early organizers deliberately limit publicity to adhere to unionization best practices, primarily focusing on careful conduct and avoiding discussions with potentially ineligible individuals, such as managers. After going public, all engagement is highly appreciated. Every voice counts.
Going Public and Building Support: The organizing committee holds discussions, meetings, or workshops to educate colleagues about the potential benefits of unionization and gauge their interest and support.
Understanding Applicable Laws: Research labor laws and regulations specific to the arts and cultural sector regarding union formation, collective bargaining rights, and labor practices.
Selecting a Union: At the beginning of the movement, interested AKG workers decided to affiliate with an existing union, Workers United.
Collecting Authorization Cards: Interested employees sign authorization cards expressing their support for union representation, demonstrating a desire for a union election.
Filing for Union Election: The organizing committee or chosen union files a petition with the relevant labor relations board or authority to request an election to determine if workers want union representation.
Campaigning and Preparation: We campaign to inform fellow workers regarding the benefits of unionization.
Conducting the Election: An election is held to determine if the majority of eligible employees vote in favor of union representation.
Certification and Negotiation: If the majority of employees vote in favor of the union, it gets certified as the official representative of the workers.
Workers will democratically elect a bargaining committee made up of AKG staff. The bargaining committee begins negotiating with the museum management regarding terms of employment, including wages, benefits, working conditions, etc.
Structuring the Union: Workers set up its internal structure, elects worker representatives or worker leaders, and establishes procedures for decision-making and addressing members' concerns.
Representation and Advocacy: The union represents and advocates for its members in employment-related matters, including grievances, negotiations, and disputes with the museum administration.
Membership Engagement: The union engages in ongoing activities to keep members informed, involved, and united, such as meetings, workshops, campaigns, and other forms of member outreach.