Westford, MA. In recent months and years, workers at numerous North American museum, library, and academic institutions have made efforts to organize. Cultural and academic sector unions have highlighted issues such as fair wages, affordable health care coverage, paid parental leave, and reliance on temporary labor that affect workers' livelihoods across the field. Ongoing unionization efforts among graduate students and adjunct faculty dovetail with those of gallery, library, archive, and museum workers, as compensation fails to keep up with rapidly rising costs of living. These workplace issues were further magnified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare, employee retention, and organizational budgets. Acknowledging these recent developments, the ARLIS/NA Executive Board affirms its support of the right of employees, both public and private, to organize unions and engage in collective bargaining.

Employees' collective bargaining efforts help ensure that the future of art information professions is one that is equitable, sustainable, and enriched by the voices of workers representing a broad spectrum of class, race, gender, and ability.

About the Art Libraries Society of North America

Founded in 1972, the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) is a dynamic, international organization of close to 1,000 individuals devoted to fostering excellence in art and design librarianship and image management in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The membership includes architecture and art librarians, visual resources professionals, artists, curators, educators, publishers, students, and other interested in visual arts information. To serve this diverse constituency, the Society provides a wide range of programs and services within an organizational structure that encourages participation at every level.