Staffers at the George Eastman Museum are seeking to unionize under Workers United.
Once home to the Eastman Kodak Co. founder, the local institution is the latest in a string of museums nationally to see an organizing push.
They point to unclear job roles, high turnover rates, poor wages, and a lack of transparency in decision-making by museum leadership as major factors. The George Eastman Museum employs about 75 non-management employees, according to the organizing workers.
The museum opened in 1949, and today is the oldest museum in the world dedicated to photography, housing a film archive of about 28,000 reels. Since 2012, the museum has been led by director Bruce Barnes.
"We had seen a lot of people come in with the light in their eyes, this becoming their dream job that they've been looking forward to their whole life, and then something might have happened for them, and they did everything they could to change that or improve the situation, only to find that they couldn't," said Damien Spader, a technology collection manager who's worked at the museum for about five years.
The museum's management has declined to voluntarily recognize the union, so staffers will vote on the matter. The vote has yet to be scheduled.
Earlier this month, workers said, they were called into a meeting held by Government Resources Consultants of America. That firm, according to filings to the U.S. Department of Labor, are generally hired to collect information on labor organizing activities, or to persuade staff against organizing. Labor organizations, like the Economic Policy Institute, refer to Government Resources Consultants of America, and organizations like it, as union-busters.
The firm's largest client is Amazon, which has paid the firm $12.4 million since 2020, according to Department of Labor records.
"It was an informational meeting to talk about what the process of unionizing is," Spader said. "Though many of the talking points were divisive and certainly not appropriate in what we do at the museum."
Barnes declined an interview with WXXI News. He provided a written statement in response to questions surrounding the union drive.
He said the consulting firm was hired to ensure workers had access to "accurate information on which to base their votes." He also stated that upon receiving notice of the intent to unionize in late August, about 20 employees intending to unionize were in supervisory roles that preclude them from unionizing.
Private museum unions have become increasingly popular in recent years. For example, a report from Museums Moving Forward found that 65% of unionized workers at private, non-profit arts museums had organized after 2019. Surveys from the organization found that unionized workers generally saw the union as a positive benefit for their job, and made about 20% more than non-unionized workers in comparable positions.
In 2025, workers at the Strong National Museum of Play had pushed to unionize under CSEA, but that vote ultimately failed.
While no single event precipitated the effort at the George Eastman Museum, unionizing workers say the lack of transparency was evident in a sudden shift earlier this year to a paid photo policy on the museum's grounds. The grounds had been free and open to the public, making it a popular prom photoshoot spot. But a new museum policy announced in June created a $400 reservation fee for photo sessions.
The unionizing workers said they were given no information about the policy change before it was implemented.
"It feels like if management is going to make decisions that affect the 100 people that work there, the 100 people that work there should at least know what the decisions are before they're made," said Vivian Rivers, the museum's community and volunteer liaison. "And if anything, should have a voice in what those decisions are."
In the statement, Barnes said parts of the "property were overwhelmed and being damaged by the several hundred people who were there in connection with prom photos." He said while the policy is still being discussed, the union would have no role in determining external policy matters in the future.
Will Westlake is a union organizer working with the museum workers. He's best known for leading the Buffalo Starbucks union drive in the early 2020s.
"The George Eastman Museum is blessed to have one of the most talented groups of workers of any in the state," Westlake said. "The workers at the museum are passionate about what they do, believe in the community of Rochester, and ultimately want to make the museum the best place it can be, both to work and to visit."
