Mismanaged expectations, failed communication, and a lack of empathy
- Failure to provide advance notice
- Lack of transparency
- Failure to consider alternative solutions
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York witnessed a dramatic display of protest outside its Fifth Avenue entrance on April 16. More than fifty cultural workers from various museums, including the American Folk Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, Dia Art Foundation, the Hispanic Society, the Museum of Modern Art, and the New Museum, gathered near the entrance, holding signs and banners that conveyed their discontent. The protest was sparked by the museum’s recent staff cuts, which were announced in February and affected six departments, including education, archives, publications, and advancement. To the dismay of the laid-off employees, curators and management were left unscathed. The layoffs resulted in the dismissal of fourteenth UAW Local 2110 members, who were informed of the cuts only after the fact. The protesters, who included long-serving employees like sixty-four-year-old Maureen Ahearn, who had worked at the Guggenheim since 1992, expressed their anger and frustration at the abruptness of the layoffs. Ahearn, who was laid off from the Guggenheim’s archives and library services department, stated that she would have preferred to be relocated to another position or have her salary decreased, but was given no notice of the impending cuts. “I would like [museum leaders] to look at the people they’re laying off, and not just the numbers,” Ahearn said. “They could have moved me to another job or decreased my salary, but there was no notice.”
The museum’s response to the layoffs was swift and decisive. A Guggenheim spokesperson released a statement, saying that the decision to reduce staffing and reorganize teams was made to improve the museum’s financial health. The spokesperson emphasized that the terms of the contract negotiated with UAW Local 2110 had been adhered to, and that the impacted colleagues were thanked for their hard work.