The Gilbert House Children’s Museum has lost five employees in the last month amid a labor dispute that led to a walkout and protests.
Former and current employees at the Gilbert House say the museum, which educates Salem children through hands-on exhibits and play areas, has a punitive work environment with little room for errors, complaints or new ideas.
Angelica Perez, former assistant director, said that during her time at the museum since 2018, stand out instances include an unwanted sexual advance by a shift leader on a coworker that management declined to investigate, a new employee being yelled at by the executive director for being behind schedule and a declining focus on education within the exhibits.
Perez was fired on April 19, in what she said was retaliation for asking for better communication and leadership. Three other staff members walked out in solidarity, causing the museum to close for the day.
In the last month, Perez and one other employee were fired and three quit. Gilbert House officials confirmed those numbers without naming Perez. The museum now has 12 employees.
Asked for an interview about the workplace issues, Executive Director Alicia Bay and Board Chair Scott Meyer instead referred questions to Karin Holton, the museum’s promotions coordinator.
Holton said in an initial interview Tuesday that she was unaware of most of the issues employees described to Salem Reporter. She followed the interview with an email concerning those matters.
“Allegations were made recently regarding employment at Gilbert House Children’s Museum. In accordance with the policies outlined in the Gilbert House Children’s Museum Employee Handbook, these allegations were taken very seriously and promptly investigated,” Holton wrote.
Bay has been the executive director at the Gilbert House since 2015, according to her LinkedIn.
The museum, located at 116 Marion St. N.E, was founded in 1989 and is named for Salem native A.C. Gilbert, who invented the Erector Set, a construction toy, and encouraged learning through play.
It is back in operation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The museum has closed on Sundays due to reduced staffing, effective until the end of the month, Holton said. The museum now has 12 employees and Holton said museum officials are not anticipating any further disruptions to operations.
A small group of employees protested on April 22, then again on April 29, carrying signs asking for support and one that included the phrase “This is not ‘normal work stuff,’” according to photos and videos posted on social media. The group said the sign referred to a dismissal of their complaints by a board member, and that they were joined by local labor leaders during the protest.
A group calling itself the Gilbert House Employees for Change said in a statement that the employees love the museum and want to protect its legacy.
“Employees have been subjected to harassment and have been the victims of favoritism, consistently. We, as a group, have been mistreated by our executive director for so long that we have decided that we have had enough. This is why you see us out on the street. This is why we protest,” they said.
Ten former and current museum employees support the effort and have been involved in the protests, Perez said.
Perez said young, vocal staff members shared their concerns about education and outreach issues directly to leadership during a January staff meeting which she believes was the starting point for the tensions in the following months.
She said that on Feb. 6 she met with Bay in what she thought would be a session to resolve employee issues. She said instead she was given a disciplinary notice, and eventually filed a grievance accusing Bay of altering documents, intimidation, harassment, retaliation, implied coercion and discrimination.
Perez said her firing followed on April 19 causing staff to walk out, which Holton confirmed.
Holton said that the museum board hired Saalfeld Griggs, a Salem law firm, to investigate the allegations and interview employees earlier this year.
“The firm determined them to be unsubstantiated,” Holton said. Salem Reporter left a message with the law firm Tuesday and did get a response before publication.
Holton said the two terminations were performance related and not retaliation, but that she could not comment on the terms of separation.
The employee group also registered concerns about museum operations.
“Within the museum, daily programming has been minimal. Learning is no longer the focus of creative play. Instead we have seen an increase of workplace models and simple toys,” the statement said.
Holton said that is not an accurate characterization.
“There has not been a shift in the learning through play model. Each of our exhibits has learning objectives attached to them, and our education coordinator has been working closely with our exhibit team for a number of years to make sure that there are educational outcomes in each of our exhibit spaces,” she said.
“We appreciate all the support that we get from our employees, volunteers and community and we take every concern seriously. And we will continue to do that,” Holton said.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
