March 14, 2026 — Each year, workers and advocates from museums across the nation travel to Washington, D.C., for Museum Advocacy Day. It is an annual opportunity to meet with members of Congress and their staff to push for funding and laws that help museums across the country function and thrive.
This year, PEF members Aaron Noble and Mickey Dobbin, who work at the New York State Museum in Albany, got a chance to participate.
“Museum Advocacy Day is organized by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). They connect us and other museum advocates to the various lawmakers,” said Dobbin, who is a Research Collections Technician at the NYS Museum and who serves on the PEF Executive Board Member and is the Treasurer for PEF Division 194. “They make sure that everyone attending these meetings is well equipped and knows how to talk to legislators about museum advocacy.”
Dobbin was glad that he could continue his advocacy not only for PEF and the members he represents, but also for museums as a whole.
“We had a chance to meet with the staff for (New York) Senators Gillibrand and Schumer, but we also got to meet with House Representative Paul Tonko,” said Dobbin. “Tonko is the chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, and you could tell that he already had a basis of understanding and support, but he was also very engaged and very curious about all of our needs.”
Noble, a Senior Historian and Assistant Council Leader for Division 194, said that when it comes to museums, New York is lucky to have an advocate like Tonko.
“Paul Tonko is well acquainted with the importance of history, culture and museums,” said Noble. “We had a really positive meeting with each of the legislators and their staff, and I think we did a good job highlighting the importance of the work that our members do at the State Museum.”
Museum Advocacy Day is also about reminding the public about the importance of museums and history. According to AAM, nearly 62,000 jobs in New York are supported by the museum industry each year. Tax revenue generated by New York museums exceeds $1 billion. In addition, AAM reports that regardless of political affiliation or persuasion, about 89% of Americans believe that museums provide important impacts to the communities.
“Museums have consistently polled as one of the most trusted institutions in American society, for decades,” said Noble. “Museums do the work of providing forensic evidence of what happened in the past. That sort of work allows us to be trusted truth tellers and provide museum visitors with evidence that allows for conversation about our past and our story as a people and as a country.”
Museums also help develop industry beyond the education sector. Building infrastructure and workforce development are all layered into keeping museums up and running, said Dobbin.
“People interact very personally with museums every day. It takes teams of people to make sure that the exhibits are well established,” said Dobbin. “But it also takes teams of people to build and maintain museums, to figure out temperature control, and so much more. Museums support communities at nearly every level.”
Both Noble and Dobbin feel that PEF and AFT have provided great support to museum workers over the years. They’re grateful for the opportunity to discuss the needs of museums with others in their field, their fellow union members, and legislators with the backing of both unions.
“President Spence and the PEF staff have been behind us 100 percent of the time through trying times that we’ve had at the museum and through turning the page and finding solutions to those issues,” said Noble.
In last year’s State budget, $150 million in capital funding was allocated to renovate the New York State Museum. PEF is supporting a budget request this year that would provide $12 million to support the operating needs of the Cultural Education Center, including the museum.
“Now, we work hand-in-hand with leadership at the Museum and the State Education Department and are transforming it into something that people can be proud of. We’re grateful to President Spence, AFT, and all the staff for their support.”
