Chicago History Museum Workers Ratify First Contract

Workers at the Chicago History Museum ratified their first union contract on August 25, 2026, with 96% of union members voting in favor. The agreement includes pay increases and improved paid leave for employees represented by AFSCME Council 31.

The contract follows a contentious labor dispute at the museum. Employees voted to unionize in February 2025, and four workers were fired shortly afterward. Other employees were disciplined or threatened with termination, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

In May 2026, the NLRB filed a formal complaint alleging that museum management under former president Donald Lassere retaliated against workers for exercising their right to organize. Lassere left the museum in January 2026 after nearly five years as president.

AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch described the dispute as “some of the worst anti-union retaliation we’ve seen.”

“Facing some of the worst anti-union retaliation we’ve seen, they stood strong together and prevailed,” Lynch said.

The museum appointed Michael J. Anderson as its new president in July. Anderson offered all four fired employees the opportunity to return and committed to negotiating in good faith with the union.

Following the contract’s ratification, Anderson called the agreement “an important step forward for the museum and our staff.” He said the museum wants to build a relationship with the union “grounded in mutual respect, collaboration, and open communication.”

The Chicago History Museum joins a growing list of cultural institutions whose workers have organized in recent years, including the Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shedd Aquarium, Newberry Library, Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry.

AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United campaign now represents about 50,000 cultural workers nationwide, including approximately 2,500 in Illinois.