The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Boston announced this week that it will lay off more than 30 employees, nearly half of whom hold unionised positions. The announcement was made on 27 January, with the union representing many of the workers, United Auto Workers Local 2110 (UAW), claiming they were given just one day\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n
According to WBUR<\/a>, in an email sent to employees, the MFA stated that the museum is \u201cin an unsustainable deficit that we have committed to resolve\u201d. The email continued: \u201cUnfortunately, we have determined that in order to move toward financial sustainability, we will need to implement a restructuring that will result in a reduction in our workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n The museum currently employs around 520 staff members, and the 33 job cuts amount to around 6.3% of its total workforce. The layoffs take effect on 30 January.<\/p>\n This marks the second round of layoffs at the MFA in six years. The first occurred in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when 56 employees took early retirement and 57 additional staff members were laid off. At that time, then-director Matthew Teitelbaum also took a 30% pay cut.<\/p>\n According to UAW Local 2110, 16 of the 33 positions being eliminated are union roles. \u201cThe union only learned about the layoffs at the MFA late in the day yesterday,\u201d an Instagram post<\/a> by the MFA union states. \u201cThe museum only just notified us about which members of our union are specifically on the layoff list.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have asked the museum to provide detailed information about what actions could have been taken to avoid this drastic step,\u201d the statement continued. \u201cWe expect to meet and bargain with the museum over this matter to see if there are ways to avert layoffs and retain the workplace diversity that is the strength of our institution.\u201d<\/p>\n Unionised workers at the MFA fought to secure their first contract <\/a>in 2022, following nearly two years of bargaining and a one-day strike<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to address a growing structural deficit and better serve our audiences, we are moving forward with a comprehensive plan to realign our organisation and create a sustainable business model,\u201d a spokesperson for the MFA told The Art Newspaper in a statement. \u201cUnfortunately, this plan includes the painful but necessary step of implementing a workforce reduction that calls for the elimination of 6.3% of total active employees. Leadership came to this decision only after careful consideration and extensive analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n The spokesperson added: \u201cIt is a sad moment for the MFA and one we face with a heavy heart. We are deeply grateful to our departing staff for their years of commitment and many contributions. Moving forward, a new organisational structure will be in place that centres visitor experience and community engagement, ensures care of our collection and maximises efficiencies across the museum. Changes include a new division that brings together virtually all visitor-facing staff and prioritises the audience experience, along with a new focus on institutional strategy. These initiatives will help set the MFA firmly on a path to becoming a more stable and resilient institution\u2014one that is better positioned to deliver on our mission.\u201d<\/p>\n Many US museums have made significant layoffs over the past six years, especially at the height of the pandemic-era closures, but also more recently as operational costs have risen rapidly and arts funding has become more scarce. A report last year<\/a> by the American Alliance of Museums found that more than 50% of US museums were still seeing lower visitor numbers than in 2019.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, staff at the Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia, were notified in a Zoom meeting that 15% of their workforce would be cut<\/a>. Last year, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York laid off 20 employees<\/a> following a similarly compressed timeline and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles also moved to lay off 22 employees<\/a>. The Brooklyn Museum introduced a comparable measure<\/a>, citing revenue losses, though those layoffs were ultimately paused following pressure from the UAW.<\/p>\n