Snøhetta, the internationally recognized architectural practice founded in Norway with offices in New York and San Francisco, has become the focus of labor rights actions in the United States, beginning in 2023.
In May 2023, a group of employees at Snøhetta’s U.S. studios filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking to unionize under Architectural Workers United (AWU), a division of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). The employees announced the filing publicly via Instagram and through press reporting, stating the intention to gain a collective voice in workplace decisions.
Later that year, a union election was held on July 7, 2023, in which employees voted on whether to form a union. The final tally reported was 35 votes against and 29 votes in favor of unionization in the U.S. studios, whereas in Norway, Snøhetta employees were already members of a union.
Following this vote, Architectural Workers United filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the NLRB on August 29, 2023. The charge alleged that Snøhetta had unlawfully discriminated against employees because of their support for union organizing, a claim arising out of events during and after the failed union drive. According to AWU and IAM statements, Snøhetta had engaged external legal counsel to oppose the unionization effort and was accused of discriminatory actions toward union supporters.
At the time of the AWU filing, the firm had not released a detailed public response to the allegations.
The dispute continued into 2026, when a separate NLRB complaint was filed alleging that Snøhetta illegally laid off eight employees who had supported the union drive. According to reporting on the complaint, the layoffs occurred shortly after a management announcement citing a worsening financial position. Internal correspondence reportedly classified employees by their union support status, and all eight laid off were listed as supporters or undecided. The NLRB complaint asserts these terminations constituted retaliation in violation of labor law, a claim Snøhetta has denied, stating the layoffs were driven by business considerations and not union activity.
In response to these developments, Snøhetta issued a detailed statement reaffirming its commitment to transparency, employee rights, and due process. The firm stated that it has maintained open communication with its teams and has been sensitive to employees’ rights to explore unionization, noting that it has sought to respect obligations under the National Labor Relations Act throughout the process.
Snøhetta further clarified that any workforce reductions implemented since 2023 were driven by business considerations and were carried out only after efforts were made to avoid layoffs. Within this context, the firm noted that employees ultimately voted against unionization and that established procedures exist to challenge or contest election outcomes—channels that, according to the firm, were not pursued at the time by either employees or the union.
The practice emphasized that it will continue to work constructively with legal counsel and the National Labor Relations Board as appropriate, reiterating its position that decisions affecting staffing were based on operational needs while maintaining a stated commitment to fairness, dialogue, and support for its teams.
The Instagram account of Architectural Workers United, which served as a communication platform during these events, shared posts related to the union drive and subsequent labor filings, including captions summarizing the firm’s federal labor charges.
This ongoing legal matter remains under review by the NLRB, with further proceedings expected as the process continues.
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