AFSCME Council 5 Condemns Mass Layoffs at the Science Museum of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN - AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director Bart Andersen released the following statement:
"The Science Museum of Minnesota’s decision today to lay off a large number of dedicated employees — many of whom are proud union members — is not just shortsighted, it’s devastating for workers, students, researchers, and the community. While our immediate concern is with the union members affected, we condemn all of these cuts in the strongest possible terms.
"Let’s be clear: these layoffs will hurt workers who have devoted themselves to this institution, often for years, but they will also hurt students, teachers, and researchers who rely on this museum as a pillar of learning and discovery. And they will hurt the community — especially our youngest minds — who deserve access to world-class science, history, and cultural learning that they get from the staff at the Science Museum.
"We fully recognize the serious challenges posed by federal funding cuts to museum institutions, and that is why AFSCME has been on the front lines fighting these cuts in Washington D.C. and in the courts. But today’s announced layoffs are not just the result of recent federal budget cuts — they are the result of persistent financial mismanagement for which no one in museum leadership has been held accountable. This is now the 3rd round of layoffs at the Science Museum since March 2023, with management already threatening more.
"These cuts are also the result of management’s continued refusal to listen to its own frontline staff. For years, workers at the Science Museum have offered ideas, raised alarms, and put forward practical solutions to strengthen the museum's future and avoid precisely this kind of harrowing moment. Instead of listening, museum leadership chose to ignore those voices. Just weeks ago CEO Alison Rempel Brown committed to “partnering” with our union moving forward — this is not partnership, it is a slap in the face.
"AFSCME Council 5 stands firmly with every member impacted by these layoffs. We demand that the Science Museum immediately halt these job cuts, continue to meet with its workers in good faith, and consider real, worker and community-driven solutions.
"This museum belongs to the people of Minnesota and is a cultural icon in our state and the Upper Midwest. The workers and museum goers who bring the Science Museum to life every day deserve respect, stability, and a voice in this process.
"We will never be silent while irreplaceable workers are thrown onto the unemployment line. Our community deserves better. Our members deserve better. The future of the Science Museum of Minnesota demands management do better by all of us. We will be fighting back alongside our Science Museum of Minnesota Workers Union siblings every step of the way."
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