Workers at the Chicago History Museum have ratified their first union contract, after what the union representing the workers called “some of the worst anti-union retaliation we’ve seen.”
In May, the National Labor Relations Board issued a rare formal complaint, alleging that under the museum’s previous president, Donald Lassere, management retaliated against employees who voted to unionize in 2025.
Shortly after that vote, four employees were fired, while others were disciplined or threatened with termination, according to the NLRB. The board found the museum violated federal labor laws.
Lassere exited the role in January after nearly five years at the helm. Last month, the museum named Michael J. Anderson as Lassere’s successor to lead the Lincoln Park museum. In July, Anderson told WBEZ the museum extended offers to the four ousted employees to return to work at the museum as part of settling the NLRB complaint, saying management was committed to negotiating in good faith with the union.
“Reaching this agreement marks an important step forward for the museum and our staff. We are committed to building a productive working relationship with the union and to creating a workplace grounded in mutual respect, collaboration, and open communication,” Anderson said in a statement Tuesday. “As we move forward, our shared focus remains on supporting our staff, serving our visitors and communities, and advancing the Museum’s mission of preserving and sharing Chicago’s stories.”
The history museum employees are among the latest Chicago cultural workers to organize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. Workers from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and Newberry Library, among others, have joined that same union in recent years.
“Chicago History Museum employees are an inspiration,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a statement. “Facing some of the worst anti-union retaliation we’ve seen, they stood strong together and prevailed. Together in AFSCME, Chicago cultural workers are winning real gains and raising standards across a sector that long took them for granted.”
In a statement on Tuesday, AFSCME said the contract was ratified by 96% of union members and includes across-the-board pay increases and improved paid leave for all employees.
The Chicago History Museum sees about 150,000 annual visitors. This fall, the museum will launch the exhibition “Threads of a Nation: Preserving Presidential Clothing” featuring garments worn by former presidents George Washington, John Adams and Abraham Lincoln. The pieces are part of the museum’s extensive costume collection.