Employees of New York-based SHoP Architects have announced plans to form the US's first union of architecture workers since the 1940s in response to an alleged culture of "endless overtime and deadlines".
The group, which calls itself Architectural Workers United, filed an election petition with the National Labour Relations Board on 28 December, beginning the formal process of organising a union.
They revealed their plans in a letter sent to their employers on 20 December, which was reported by the New York Times.
"We have grown accustomed to unsustainable practices such as endless overtime and deadlines which result in burnout and a lack of work-life balance," the letter reads.
"Pushed to the limits"
"We have accepted the lack of value of the architect within the building industry. We have normalised the exploitation of our time and our talent," it continues. "Many of us feel pushed to the limits of our productivity and mental health. These conditions have become detrimental to our lives and in extension the lives of our families."
Above: SHoP employees have founded Architectural Workers United. Top image: SHoP Architects' supertall skyscraper 9 DeKalb seen in a render by SHoP
Architectural Workers United (AWU) aims to affiliate with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), an American union with almost 600,000 members in industries ranging from manufacturing and engineering to local gove...