Science Museum to lay off dozens, citing decrease in attendance and funding

The Science Museum of Minnesota on Wednesday announced it would be laying off 43 people in a “comprehensive restructuring.”

The museum said it, along with museums across the country, are seeing a 6-16% decrease in attendance. It added that it is also experiencing reduced federal, state, and local funding, as well as a decline in traveling exhibit sales.

The museum said it will also require a significant amount of money for its aging infrastructure and gallery investments. It will transition from a $38 million to $31 million annual operating model.

According to the museum, the layoffs, around 13% of its workforce, will save $3.1 million. The museum’s four departments will also tighten into three.

“It is a tremendously difficult decision to reorganize roles and to eliminate staff. Everyone is extremely talented and contributes meaningfully to our mission,” said President and CEO Alison Brown. “We chose to act decisively now rather than wait and be forced into more drastic measures later.”

AFSCME Council 5, which represents museum workers, condemned the layoffs in a lengthy statement that reads, in part:

“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.”

You can read the union’s full statement here.
The post Science Museum to lay off dozens, citing decrease in attendance and funding first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.