\n By District Council 37 and AFSCME International Staff
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\n Thursday, April 02, 2026
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NEW YORK \u2013 Employees of the New York Transit Museum now have a voice on the job.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Workers at the Brooklyn-based museum voted unanimously this month<\/a> in favor of forming a union through AFSCME District Council 37<\/a>. They join thousands of DC 37 members across New York City\u2019s cultural institutions who have fought for and won union recognition to secure better wages and workplace protections for themselves and their colleagues, and improve their communities. \u00a0 More than 50,000 workers at museums, libraries,\u202fzoos\u202fand other cultural institutions across the United States have gained a voice on the job through the\u202fAFSCME Cultural Workers United<\/a>\u202fcampaign\u202f\u2014\u202fthe largest of its kind in the nation.\u202f<\/p>\n
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Management at the New York Transit Museum denied the workers\u2019 request for voluntary union recognition earlier this year. On Feb. 4, the organizing committee announced its unionization campaign as the Transit Museum Collective with DC 37. The petition for an election was filed with the National Labor Relations Board on March 10. \u00a0
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\u201cIt\u2019s clear these workers are passionate about carrying out the museum\u2019s mission, and they have done an incredible job fighting for their right to unionize,\u201d said Henry Garrido, executive director of District Council 37 and an AFSCME vice president<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to welcome the New York Transit Museum Collective to the DC 37 family and look forward to continuing the momentum as we bargain a first contract for fair wages and dignity in the workplace.\u201d\u00a0
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The 30 new union members work in full- and part-time jobs in museum education and visitor experience. The New York Transit Museum, founded in 1976, tells the story of urban public transportation systems in the New York metropolitan region through extensive collections, exhibits, research and educational programs. The museum also has a collection of vintage rail cars<\/a> that visitors can explore. \u00a0
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DC 37 is New York City\u2019s largest public employee union, representing 150,000 workers and 50,000 retirees. As the city\u2019s preeminent union for museum workers, DC 37 represents members at iconic cultural institutions like the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Children\u2019s Museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n