Support Seattle Art Museum Workers' Strike Fund

Hi! We're the workers of the Security Department at the Seattle Art Museum, and we formed an independent union in 2021, and won recognition with a 90% vote in May 2022. Our department is made up of working artists and creatives, we’re fighting to win better lives for us all. Since August 2022, we have been tirelessly bargaining for our first contract. However, the museum's significant stonewalling and delays have left us no choice but to consider a strike. After 26 months of negotiations, we now realize that a strike is not just an option, but a necessity to apply the pressure needed to finalize this contract with the Seattle Art Museum. The community’s support over the years has meant everything to us, however with a looming strike we ask any and all those willing to contribute towards worker solidarity to please donate to help us build up a strike hardship fund, that will allow our workers to survive while striking to fight for better rights and conditions from SAM. Since we are an independent union, we have no funds (no dues until after 1st contract) other than those that are donated by the community. Any funds that are not used for the strike hardship fund, will be used to pay off legal fees we currently owe to our legal team.

In addition to accepting funds through our online gofundme, the union is holding an art show and concert fundraiser on October 29th for all of those in the Seattle Area, please join us!

More background info:

Seattle Art Museum’s Board of Trustees consists of Seattle's richest and most powerful individuals. Despite this, SAM refuses to offer decent benefits to its employees. Over the past few decades, SAM has slashed employee benefits, ending pensions in 2006 and more recently halving the already meager remaining retirement benefit. This reduction in employee support is starkly contrasted by the museum's steady growth in assets and properties, which have now surpassed an impressive $300 million. In bargaining, SAM has clarified that donors typically earmark donations for “specific” museum areas such as art acquisitions and the expansion of gallery space, neglecting staff compensation and retention.

In the bargaining room SAM has said that Seattle’s high cost-of-living is Seattle’s issue, not the museum’s; and thus SAM will not provide a wage that meets Seattle’s cost of living. This flippant statement by SAM’s bargaining representative implies falsely that the museum is disconnected from Seattle’s community and culture, when in reality SAM plays an important role in creating the culture and economic conditions of this city. According to the Seattle Times article from June 14th, 2023 WA renters need to earn twice the minimum wage to afford rent: “In the Seattle and Bellevue area, a renter would need to make even more: $40.38, or $84,000 a year.” This choice by SAM to claim it is part of the community, but to then distance itself from the idea of community when the data shows its workers need it most, is cynical and self-serving. We work at the SAM because we love the community the institution says it serves but working here in its current state has become draining and morally conflicting.

Calling for a strike is not an action taken lightly and comes after extensive deliberation and unsuccessful attempts to resolve ongoing concerns through polite dialogue and negotiation. We have slowly escalated our actions to show museum leadership that the union remains unified and steadfast in its demands.

Museums Moving Forward (an aggregator/research project gathering data about museum unions) says that the average first contract length for a union in museums is 18 months, meaning that SAM’s many delaying tactics have extended the process 8 months beyond the norm for museum first contracts, which is another quantifiable mark against the SAM’s ethics in navigating the bargaining process thus far. VSOs need improved wages and benefits NOW, and delays are no longer acceptable to the workers.

Thank you for considering donating