Workers at the Aquarium of the Pacific Announce Unionization Efforts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/22/26
Contact: Daisha Benjamin
(213) 305-9382
Workers at the Aquarium of the Pacific Announce Unionization Efforts
Long Beach, Calif. – Following a wave of successful organizing drives among cultural institutions throughout southern California, workers at the Aquarium of the Pacific (AOP), which is the largest aquarium in southern California, announced that they are forming a union through AFSCME District Council 36 as the Aquarium of the Pacific Workers United. The new union would represent approximately 130 workers and include environmentalists, educators, guest services associates and more.
Workers filed for union recognition after receiving strong majority of support from employees who are ready to have a voice on the job. Aquarium of the Pacific workers play a vital role in keeping the aquarium a warm, welcoming and educational environment for the 1.6 million people who visit each year.
Key factors driving the unionization efforts are the growing use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the aquarium’s operations, wages that do not keep up with the cost of living, and a lack of professional development opportunities. “We work hard every day, often doing the work of multiple people while facing constant changes and high expectations,” said Krystal Gonzales, who works in environmental services at AOP. “We’re not asking for special treatment; we’re asking for fair workloads, support, respect, and a voice in the workplace. We’re coming together because our voices matter.”
According to Lurdez Puga, who is an education specialist, “Better work comes from workers who are taken care of and heard. I love the work I do and want to be able to continue to do it in a work environment that supports the health and safety of me and my colleagues.”
Rissa Lising, who works in guest services, supports a union at Aquarium of the Pacific because they believe in bettering their work environment. “I believe that the key to a healthy working environment is a workplace where staff feel encouraged to speak up, share their thoughts, and truly feel listened to and heard in return. Unionizing would give us a seat at the table and a say in our future that we previously didn’t have,” said Lising.
Many nonprofit and cultural institutions in Los Angeles County such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and Academy Foundation of Motion Pictures, granted voluntary recognition to their staff unions, all of whom also organized with AFSCME District Council 36 and are part of AFSCME Cultural Workers United, the largest organizing movement for cultural workers in the country.
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