Denver Art Museum Employees Announce Union Campaign

“For our museum to fully realize its potential and truly act as a public good, it has to operate democratically and with accountability to staff and the public,” says Tei Iuga, a creative and public engagement associate at the Denver Art Museum.

An employee of the DAM for more than a year and a half, Iuga is working alongside fellow DAM employees to form a union, an effort that was announced today, January 11. "We have overwhelming support amongst eligible workers at the art museum," she says, adding that while she does not have an exact count, the number of signed union cards is only increasing. "I'm part of the organizing committee, which is a group of people who have been doing a lot of work to organize our union."

Those efforts began even before Iuga started working there, she says. "This process has been a long time coming, actually," Iuga says. "In the past several months, it's picked up a lot of pace. I think that there are just so many of us who work at the Denver Art Museum who love our jobs, love our co-workers and really just love being part of the work that we do. And I think that most people just want to be an even greater part of that, have a bigger seat at the table, which is why we're forming a union."

As for changes the employees are seeking, Iuga says that can come down to what department someone works in. "Everybody has different individual and fundamental interests that are all going to be represented when we form our union altogether," she explains. "Some common complaints or interests that we found through talking to each other throughout the museum and all the different departments have been making sure that we have living wages; that we have vacations, transparency and a more democratic process; making sure we have equity and empowerment in our workplace; making sure that we can keep leadership accountable; and making sure that we can have respect and safety in our workplace at the Denver Art Museum."

Iuga hasn't spoken with DAM management yet but says that "we have made our intentions clear that we, the workers of the museum, want to form a union, and we've asked management to voluntarily recognize that. ... That will be easier for both sides of the bargaining table, and it's going to also save taxpayers money."

The DAM responded with a statement reading: "The Denver Art Museum can confirm it has received a request this morning for voluntary recognition of a union from some members of its staff. The museum is aware that unionization among museums has been occurring more frequently in the US and is open to working with its employees to explore the best path forward. If unionization is the path they choose, the museum will work within that system. The Denver Art Museum prioritizes its employees and their needs and looks forward to learning more about the specific goals of the proposed unionization."

"I'm so glad that membership feels ready to listen to its workers, and we ask them to move forward with the steps that are in the best interests of workers at the Denver Art Museum," says Iuga. "And I would say that is that the workers of the Denver Art Museum have already spoken. That's what we did. We have an overwhelming majority of support from eligible workers, and we believe that what's in our best interest is to form our union."