Brooklyn Museum Workers Rally Against Layoffs Outside Benefit Dinner

Over 200 people, including current and former Brooklyn Museum workers and supporters, rallied outside the institution during a fundraising event tonight, February 25, to protest the recent sweeping layoffs impacting nearly 50 full- and part-time staff members.

Starting at 6pm, concurrently with the invitation-only Chairman’s Dinner, demonstrators held signs that read “Art Workers Won’t Kiss Ass” and “Say, Brooklyn Museum, Heard You Can’t Read a Contract!” Another sign collaged museum Director Anne Pasternak’s face with photos of President Trump and Elon Musk. 

The rally was organized by District Council 37 Local 1502 and UAW Local 2110, the two unions representing workers at the Brooklyn Museum, which decried leadership’s decision to cut workers across departments without attempting to negotiate with their respective bargaining units or offering buyouts or furloughs.

“Leadership needs to act — this is what this rally is about,” Liz St. George, an assistant curator in the Decorative Arts department who was affected by the layoffs and unit chair for Local 2110, told Hyperallergic at the rally. 

“We want them to respect our contract, which they did not, and they did not give us 30 days notice of reorganization, which they bargained with us in good faith over,” St. George continued. “We want them to respect workers here at the Brooklyn Museum and show that by not laying us off, we are the heart and soul of this place, and this place is nothing without the people that do the work on the ground.”

A spokesperson for the Brooklyn Museum told Hyperallergic that the institution “continues its good faith negotiations with both unions.”

“We respect the rights of our union-represented employees to organize and rally,” the spokesperson said. “To be clear, we made the formal notification of layoffs on February 7 and we have been in negotiations regarding the terms related to these reductions since that date. And we will continue bargaining in accordance with our contracts.”

Hyperallergic reported on the expected layoffs on February 6. The next morning, Director Anne Pasternak confirmed the cuts during an all-staff meeting at the museum, informing employees of a $10 million budget deficit that she said necessitated “difficult cuts and strategic investments.” A total of 47 workers were laid off, over 10% of the museum’s staff, among them curators, educators, conservators, guards, and retail workers. 

In addition to the sweeping layoffs, Pasternak said other cost-cutting measures would include salary cuts of up to 20% for senior leadership and a reduction in the number of programs and exhibitions. In 2023, the most recent year for which financial filings are publicly available, Pasternak’s compensation stood at $1,012,633. Former Chief Operating Officer Kimberly Panicek Trueblood, who departed the museum last December for unclear reasons along with Chief People Officer Allison Avery, earned $369,054 that year.

The museum’s announcement, said a joint press release from the unions, came “after the museum spent millions of dollars on expensive events to celebrate its 200th anniversary.” A former curatorial staffer who was laid off and asked to speak anonymously said the timing of the layoffs was a “slap in the face.”

“After celebrating the 200th anniversary, which was hands on deck, for them to go through these layoffs in such a cruel manner … It tarnished the legacy of the museum and the spirit of what the museum says it’s supposed to respect,” the former worker said.

Among the attendees at tonight’s rally was Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who addressed the crowd as he called on the city to cover the museum’s deficit in its upcoming budget.

“I want to call upon the mayor of the city of New York City,” Reynoso said to protesters through a megaphone. “These museums are a public asset, they are here to do a public good people come in for free.” 

“These workers are on the chopping block and the budget can help us do something about it,” Reynoso said. 

Council Member Crystal Hudson of Brooklyn’s District 35, representing the Brooklyn Museum’s neighborhood of Crown Heights, was present at the rally along with other elected officials.

“We have an affordability crisis in New York City; people should care about anyone who’s at risk of losing their job,” Husdon told Hyperallergic. “The best possible outcome is the museum gets the money that it needs to avoid the layoffs and finds a way to avoid the layoffs in the interim.” 

Rafael Ramos, a retired New York Aquarium employee, wore a green DC 37 Local 1502 t-shirt and held protest signs in front of traffic 

“I came out here on my own time to support them,” Ramos told Hyperallergic. “My parents brought me here, I brought my kids here, and it’s just sad what they’re doing.”