The Museum of Fine Arts Boston is moving forward with a plan to reduce costs that includes layoffs.
“This is an extremely sad moment for the MFA, as we are initiating a 6.3% reduction of our total workforce in order to scale back expenses. Our challenge was to create a sustainable business model while remaining true to our mission,” a statement from the museum read. “Leadership came to this difficult decision only after careful consideration of every available option. It is with a heavy heart that we must take this difficult step and we are profoundly grateful to our departing colleagues for their years of commitment and many contributions.”
That percentage translates to about 33 jobs, according to the MFA Union.
The cuts come five-and-a-half years after the museum cut more than 100 jobs in 2020 through a mix of voluntary early retirements and layoffs.
Unionized museum employees first ratified a contract with the museum in 2022.
A statement shared by union spokesperson Chelsea Farrell said the MFA Union only learned about the layoffs late on Tuesday and that the museum has yet to share who in the union is specifically on the layoff list.
“We are deeply concerned about the impact of these layoffs, both on the affected staff and on the remaining staff of the Museum,” the statement from the union read. “Workloads at the Museum are already high and cutting back on the very staff members who make the MFA, Boston such a great institution is a blow both to the affected individuals and to the institution itself.”
“We expect to meet and bargain with the Museum over this matter to see if there ways to avert layoffs, to retain workforce diversity that is the strength of our institution, and to ensure that if there are to be layoffs of rank and file workers, that there be shared sacrifice from Museum leadership,” the statement continued.
The union’s statement said that the layoffs include 16 union members and 17 other employees. The union said it has asked the museum to give detailed information about the reasons for the layoffs and steps they’ve taken to try to avoid them.
