SAM VSO Union, Seattle, WA (2026)

03/18/2026

STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY WITH WORKERS

We, the Security workers from Seattle Art Museum, united as the SAM VSO Union express solidarity and sadness at the recent sudden layoffs affecting frontline and other departments at the Pacific Science Center. Our workers know from experience that when making budgets, the C-suite and Board of Trustees of cultural institutions often do not weigh the human cost as heavily when deciding where they should make cuts to save costs.

Through our unionization, we won a contract that lays out a clear path for workers to have a united, powerful voice in bargaining if layoffs were to occur at our institution. The contract also includes a 60-day requirement of advance notice from the employer in the case of layoffs. A union also provides a foundation for collective action when events like these occur.

SAM VSO Union believes that increasing union density in cultural institutions will ensure the sector has strong representation of workers’ voices at these institutions. This increase in workplace democracy will improve our cultural institutions and make them even more effective in our communities. Solidarity Forever with all cultural workers!

02/22/2026

Next Monday, March 2nd from 6-8pm there will be a meet-up of Pacific Northwest cultural workers to talk about ICE, labor organizing, and other political issues affecting arts and culture organizations in this moment. Please join us for discussion, snacks, and to add your input about what you would like to see changed in local cultural institutions! RSVP link in bio

12/19/2025

PNW CULTURAL WORKERS STAND WITH STARBUCKS WORKERS

Yesterday, Starbucks Workers announced “Camp Contract”, a 24/7 picket line at Starbucks S**o Corporate HQ. This comes after over a month of unfair labor practice strikes, and years of bargaining.

Next Monday December 22nd, a group of PNW Cultural Workers will join SBWU at Camp Contract(Starbucks corporate HQ in S**O) from Noon to 4pm. We will be walking the picket line, making labor-themed Christmas ornaments and more, and we would love for you (and any cultural workers you know) to join us! Please RSVP to the link in our bio tinyurl.com/artforsbwu to get more info!

SBWU Background:
Over one thousand union baristas kicked off the “Red Cup Rebellion” unfair labor practice strike on Thursday, Nov. 13 of this year, protesting Starbucks’ historic union busting and failure to finalize a fair union contract. The open-ended strike comes after six months of Starbucks refusing to offer new proposals to address workers’ demands for better staffing, higher pay, and resolution for hundreds of unfair labor practice charges.

11/29/2025

One year ago today, on Nov. 29, 2024, the security guards at the Seattle Art Museum walked off the job after nearly two and a half years of attempts to negotiate a fair contract. For years, many of us had devoted our days to welcoming visitors and protecting priceless art, yet continued to live with low pay, disappearing retirement benefits, and no real protections for long‑term staff.

After an 89% approval to strike we united and walked out. We knew it meant standing outside in the cold, but our mission was worth it. We made signs, chanted, rallied, all to remind the museum that art isn’t just about paintings or sculptures, it’s also about the people who make the museum what it is.

On Dec. 12th, 2024, we finally made a breakthrough and reached a contract with SAM. While we didn’t get everything we wanted, and the push for improvements is far from over, we came out on top with several wins including the reinstatement of our retirement benefits, increased wages into 2027, a shoe stipend, progressive discipline policy, and a closed-shop for new hires.

Our hard-fought contract continues to mark a turning point; it proves what can happen when people come together, when people support and stick up for one another. When we don’t back down and we don’t take no for an answer, we win.

We live in a world where hardworking people are increasingly being silenced, attempts for positive workplace changes being grounded, and the average individual being conned into accepting mediocrity by entities and corporations more than wealthy enough to compensate them fairly. The success of our strike and our subsequent contract serve as a beacon of hope for others just like us, who yearn for and deserve BETTER.

We fought hard and we won.

One year later, we remember, and we celebrate.

11/25/2025

Thank you to all who supported us during our 2nd annual Solidarity is Not Scary II fundraiser. You raised $2,426 for Zaytoon UW and La Resistencia NW. You can always support them directly if you missed this chance. Thanks to all the artists who donated their art for this cause. Find out more about them on the tags. Thanks to all the organizations who came to support. End the Palestinian genocide. Nobody is illegal.

10/23/2025

Halloween is extended to Nov 7th this year! SAM VSO Union is holding our second annual Halloween fundraiser event “Solidarity is Not Scary” at the Hotel Crocodile on November 7th, starting at 6pm. Last year, the event was a chance for us to raise funds to build up our strike fund in anticipation of our strike. This year, as we are in a non-contract bargaining phase, we are instead raising funds for other grassroots organizations doing important work in the community. We are partnering two great organizations: 1st , a grassroots, undocumented-led movement that works to end the detention of immigrants and stop all deportations. 2nd is , a Palestinian-led Student organization at the University of Washington fostering collaboration and community building, currently raising funds for scholarship and relocation for displaced Gazan Students. SAM VSO Union stands in proud solidarity with migrants under attack by the Trump administration, and the Palestinian people’s struggle against Israel’s ongoing genocide.

The event will have an art auction to raise funds for these organizations, as well as DJs and speakers from local community organizations, to help build solidarity in these essential campaigns. If you are interested in contributing art to be auctioned, please send an email to [email protected]. Head to the link in bio to RSVP, or donate if you can’t make it. Solidarity is not Scary (for the working class)!

10/02/2025

Sunday, October 12th come out to Labor Notes Troublemaker school in Seattle! Honored to have a few VSOs speaking on panels, and a few more VSOs attending. Get tickets at the link and learn some organizing skills with us!

09/13/2025

🌿 Union Retreat Recap – 8/26 🌿
At the end of August our union members came together for an evening of food, art, discussion, and action! We had convos about our wins and future, and shared space together and had political discussions about the Trump Administration’s attacks on migrants, as well as Israel’s campaign of weaponized starvation in Gaza. Through, food, art, and discussion, our retreat built unity and solidarity. 💪 💬🎨
We also made plans to build towards a fundraiser event in October, where we will build on our political discussion to take political action and fundraise for a cause of our union members’ choosing.
Gratitude to everyone who showed up and helped out

09/01/2025

The first Monday of September we recognize and celebrate Labor Day in the U.S. A national holiday to uplift the workers and their collective actions within their unions and workplace to fight against exploitation!

While many offices are closed downtown, the museum is open and the frontline workers of SAM are working today; including many others like bus drivers, sanitation workers, and restaurant staff.

We may be a bit quiet on socials, but we have been furiously at work behind the scenes. Stay tuned for an update about our Summer 2025 Union Retreat soon!

Solidarity to the workers.

Photo 1: Group of gallery guard workers standing in front of the "resting" Hammering Man sculpture
Photo 2: A cropped image of the painting, Logging Rail Road Construction by Kenneth Callahan (from SAM collection)

07/17/2025

join us at .seattle.tacoma Solidarity School this Saturday July 19th, to hear a panel of workers from Starbucks Workers United, Unite Here Local 8, Teamsters 117, IAM, and SAM VSO Union discuss ongoing worker organizing inside and outside the workplace! RSVP at: tinyurl.com/solschool2025

07/05/2025

Last month we presented at the Washington Museum Association's Annual Conference! We worked with Erika from the Henry Art Gallery and fellow union members at the Tacoma Art Museum to host a Q&A Panel sharing our insights and struggles to unionizing, well as myth busting anti-union rhetoric.

We are just one of the many labor unions fighting for better working conditions and our futures in our cultural and arts institutions in this country.

06/22/2025

Hello all, on June 30th from 6-8pm we will be holding a zoom discussion group of “Museums and Wealth” by . Join us to learn about how museum workers labor generates wealth for museum boards of trustees. If you’re curious to learn about organizing in museums, this is a great text to start understanding museums better which is a great first step to changing them for the better. We are reading a short section (less than 10 pages) of the book as well as watching a few supplementary YouTube videos. Group members should read the selection before the meeting so that we can discuss together! Anyone is welcome to attend, please share with the museum worker in your life. Please head to the link in bio to sign up and receive the study materials!

SAM VSO Union

03/18/2026

02/22/2026

12/19/2025

11/29/2025

11/25/2025

10/23/2025

10/02/2025

09/13/2025

09/01/2025

07/17/2025

07/05/2025

06/22/2025

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