Chicago's Cultural Workers Stand Up for Fair Pay and Rights

Chicago's cultural workers are joining forces to demand better pay and working conditions. Many of them feel undervalued and underpaid, especially after the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers at various museums and cultural sites have been successful in forming unions and securing their first-ever contracts. One of the latest victories is at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, where employees recently ratified their first union contract. This contract includes an average 8% pay increase and new workplace protections. The union represents over 120 employees in guest-facing roles and the education department. This success is part of a larger trend in Chicago. Since 2020, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 has been helping cultural workers organize. They now represent 50, 000 workers nationwide and have helped 2, 500 Illinois cultural workers form unions. But it's not just AFSCME. Workers at the Chicago Botanic Garden are also organizing under the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board of Workers United. However, the process hasn't been smooth. There's a disagreement between workers and management about the steps needed to establish a union. Despite these challenges, workers are more vocal than ever. They're demanding better pay and benefits, especially with rising inflation and economic uncertainty. Museums are struggling too, with about a third losing government grants or contracts. More than half reported fewer visitors in 2025 than in 2019. But workers aren't backing down. They feel they've been taken for granted for too long. As one worker put it, "What we do is very niche. If I wanted to be a librarian at a different national history museum, I'd have to pick up my life and move to another major city. They take advantage of that. They know that you are loyal to this place. "