Jeff Koons lays off 14 studio employees amid unionization efforts

Jeff Koons has laid off 14 employees from his New York studio, including a group of night-shift workers and one day-shift worker who sympathized with them, after they attempted to unionize. The workers contacted 829 United Scenic Artists, a professional association representing over 4,300 designers, artists, and artisans across the US, to handle negotiations between the studio and employees. Koons subsequently gave raises to remaining staff, which some interpret as an attempt to quell union sentiment, though no evidence supports this. The layoffs were officially justified as redundancies, targeting employees hired after June 1, 2015. If a link between the unionization effort and the dismissals is proven, it would violate the National Labour Relations Act. The news was first reported by Art Fag City in an article by Paddy Johnson and Rhett Jones. Separately, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York faces financial difficulties, with a $10 million deficit announced in April. President Daniel H. Weiss and director Thomas P. Campbell planned a financial restructuring over 24 months, including cuts, early retirements, and layoffs. By July, the situation worsened, with an additional 100 layoffs beyond those planned in spring. The curatorial department faces a 5% cut, while administrative areas (marketing, HR, web) face reductions of 15–20%, as reported by the New York Times.