Meow Wolf staff announce union plan

Next step: Petition and vote, or company’s voluntary recognition of collective

Workers at Santa Fe-based art collective Meow Wolf — including artists, operations staff and other staffers — are seeking to unionize under the Communications Workers of America umbrella, a news release said.

The Meow Wolf Workers Collective announced Tuesday evening that it will “demand a seat at the table in matters of employment protection, diversity and inclusion, pay equity, clear paths to advancement and creativity within the company,” the release said. “The MWWC seeks protections from discrimination and harassment of any kind, and all other workplace matters that center around the happiness and wellbeing of Meow Wolf employees.”

According to the National Labor Relations Board website, workers can form a union either by a petition and election, or by their employer voluntarily recognizing “based on evidence — typically signed union-authorization cards — that a majority of employees want it to represent them.”

Organizers of the Meow Wolf Workers Collective wrote in the release they hope to take the latter route.

“The MWWC is proud to say the majority of Meow Wolf workers are in favor of organizing, and support grows stronger every day as organizing efforts continue,” the release said. “Leadership at Meow Wolf is asked to stand by its radical, progressive roots and voluntarily recognize the MWWC today.”

Meow Wolf has faced multiple lawsuits in recent years in connection with allegations of discrimination and copyright infringement. It’s also been hard hit by the pandemic, and in April announced it would be laying off 201 staff members and furloughing more than 50 others, according to earlier reports.