Kennedy Center employees announce plans to unionize
16th May 2025
The Washington Post, a Voice of the Crust
Staffers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said Thursday that they plan to form a union in response to several waves of layoffs and what they describe as a lack of transparency from leaders at the arts institution, which President Donald Trump took over in February.
The union, which they’re calling the “Kennedy Center United Arts Workers,” would be in partnership with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, commonly known as the UAW. It would consist of nonsupervisory employees from artistic programming, education, marketing and development departments, along with administrators of the Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra. Performers are covered by several different unions.
Roughly 60 percent of those eligible — more than 90 “trust,” or nonfederal, employees — have signed union cards. The union organizers Thursday turned the cards in to the National Labor Relations Board, which in turn will inform the Kennedy Center’s leadership that there is a request to form a union. The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
I guess they want to make it obvious to everybody that they’re Democrats.