NLRB Rules Buffalo AKG Art Museum Violated Federal Labor Laws

Federal labor regulators have ordered the Buffalo AKG Art Museum to bring back 13 employees laid off last year, finding that the institution violated labor law in the process. The May 28 ruling from the National Labor Relations Board requires the museum to reinstate the workers with full back pay, a significant victory for Buffalo AKG Workers United after months of dispute over the cuts.

The layoffs took place in March 2025 and affected staff in the museum's Visitor Experience Department, including front desk representatives, gallery attendants, and daily operations volunteers. The union said the case turned on extensive evidence, including hundreds of documents and hours of testimony reviewed by the board. It also said the museum declined an opportunity to settle before the decision was issued.

The museum has denied wrongdoing, rejecting allegations of“union-busting” and retaliation. In earlier statements, it said it had not engaged in any unlawful practice. The dispute drew public attention in Buffalo, where museum workers and community members protested outside the institution during First Friday programming.

The case unfolded against a period of major transition for the museum. The Buffalo AKG, formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, reopened in June 2023 after a $230 million expansion and renovation. Its director, Janne Sirén, who oversaw both the capital project and the unionization drive, departed in April 2026.

Sirén's exit came after additional scrutiny over a museum loan used to help finance the purchase of a $710,000 home. The Buffalo News reported that the Erie County Comptroller's Office said he had not repaid the loan, and one representative questioned the arrangement. The museum responded that such loans are a“relatively common practice in executive recruitment” and said it operates in compliance with applicable laws and audit standards.

For Buffalo AKG, the ruling adds another layer of pressure at a moment when museums nationwide are facing sharper scrutiny over staffing, labor rights, and the balance between institutional restructuring and worker protections.

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