History was made in Brooklyn today when the union at Bernheimer Architecture ratified the first-ever collective bargaining agreement (CBA) at a private sector architecture firm. The milestone contract has language about the amount of hours employees can work, “Just Cause,” VISA employee protections, wages and overtime pay, mentorship, and much more.
The new collective bargaining agreement was shepherded by Bernheimer employees; as well as David DiMaria and Andrew Daley of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).
“This is a historic moment for this industry,” Daley told AN, “one that will set the benchmark for what’s possible, and it’s all because of these brave and dedicated workers who put in all the effort to make this contract a reality.”
Chris Beck and Je Siqueira, Bernheimer employees and members of the bargaining unit, added: “We’re excited to share what the collective bargaining process can do for workers, and not just in our industry. Over the past two years, we’ve seen a new sense of democracy at our workplace, with everyone having a real avenue for having their voices heard on the issues that are most important to them.”
“Even before the contract was ratified today,” Beck and Siqueira continued, “we immediately received just cause firing protections, meaning every worker was given a sense of security in not only their day-to-day responsibilities, but when sharing their thoughts and concerns. We also think that the Interest Based Bargaining (IBB) method is a great model for any workplace.”
A Watershed Moment
Workers at Bernheimer first announced their decision to form a union in 2022. After the news broke, Andrew Bernheimer, the office’s founder, voluntarily recognized the union. He eventually gave a heartfelt speech at the 2023 AIA New York gala about the merits of unionization, a sign of support for his employees. The firm won an AN Best of Practice award in 2024.
In 2023, workers at another New York office, Sage and Coombe Architects, became the second private sector architecture firm in the U.S. to form a union. Sage and Coombe’s efforts followed failed union drives at Snøhetta and SHoP Architects.
Looking ahead, the recently passed collective bargaining agreement at Bernheimer could become a blueprint for workers at Sage and Coombe to follow, among other nascent labor drives.
“There’s an assumption that unions are only necessary for adversarial environments, but we believe that IBB, which requires consensus from both management and employees, is a great way to facilitate dialogue and create a structure for actually implementing changes,” Beck and Siqueira shared. “We’re all busy, but through IBB and our new CBA, we now know we can really get things done. Moving forward, we now have the means to actively design not just affordable homes and beautiful retail spaces, but our workplace itself.”
