Science Museum of Minnesota cutting more than 40 full-time employees
The Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul is cutting more than 40 full-time positions, or approximately 15% of its current staff.
The union representing museum workers says this is the third time the museum has cut jobs in the last three years.
The cutbacks are part of a larger trend among museums after the COVID-19 pandemic. When you dig into the data, peak summer day attendance at the museum is roughly 2,000 people. In 2019, before the pandemic, a peak day would be closer to 5,000 people.
"I didn't think it would be this big," visitor Carmen Avalos said Thursday. "I liked the space and math part, because that's the perfect view of the astronaut."
The museum's giant astronaut technically isn't going anywhere, and neither are any of the exhibits, shows and special features. However, starting Aug. 1, families may notice fewer staff members on the floor.
The museum calls the move a strategic restructuring, slashing the annual budget by nearly 20% and cutting 43 full-time positions.
Alison Rempel-Brown, the museum's CEO and president, said it's a result of the museum's slower-than-expected recovery from the pandemic. Stay-at-home orders are long gone, but people still like staying home.
"I am surprised, and I was too hopeful that we were going to get back there," Rempel-Brown said. "I'm still hopeful that as a community and region we'll get ways to get back together."
A survey from the Alliance of American Museums in Washington found that almost half of museums haven't reached pre-pandemic levels, while one-fifth of them are losing out on the amount of donations and the number of donors supporting their operations.
Avalos says she definitely wants to see the museum survive and thrive, and she has a message for her friends.
"Stop hiding behind the device and come see it for real," Avalos said.
Union leaders blasted the move by the museum, saying, in part, "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."
