We, the undersigned — as community organizations, labor unions, artists, and concerned community members — enthusiastically support the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) Union. We believe workers in the BMA Union bring necessary perspective to the museum’s decision-making process and help build a more inclusive, diverse and equitable institution.

According to Baltimore Museum of Art’s vision statement, BMA strives to embody its commitment to excellence, fairness, relevance and social justice by listening to the needs of its visitors. We believe the needs of workers should also be top priority. As a community, we stand by BMA workers who are forming a union to improve working conditions and increase accountability for museum administration.

As a civic institution, BMA should recognize that its workers are in the best position to advocate for their collective interest and the interests of the Baltimore community whom they serve. Recognizing BMA Union an important step in creating a museum that is welcoming to all, and also positions BMA closer to its goal of being one of the strongest publicly engaged institutions across the country.

We are calling on museum administration to recognize BMA Union through a fair union process that includes all workers.