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Stay on top of what’s happening in the Bay Area with essential Bay Area news stories, sent to your inbox every weekday.
Bay Area-raised host Ericka Cruz Guevarra brings you context and analysis to make sense of the news. Episodes drop Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
See TV Programming Manager Emma Casley’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9, PLUS and Passport schedules.
Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events.
Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift.
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Union leaders at the California Academy of Sciences criticized a new round of layoffs affecting 53 workers, saying management failed to consider alternatives before cutting nearly 10% of the staff.
In a statement, Academy leadership said the cuts are aimed at addressing a projected deficit exceeding $8 million this fiscal year, following a $7.3 million shortfall the year before. Officials cited rising operational costs, declining tourism to San Francisco, and changes in visitor behavior as key drivers of the financial strain.
The layoffs affect 37 union-represented workers and non-union staff. An additional 32 employees will be reassigned or have their hours reduced. Leadership said the cuts were made with a focus on preserving core priorities such as visitor experience, education, and scientific research, even as some programs are scaled back.
But union representatives said the process has been abrupt and vague.
Marie Angel is a curatorial assistant in the geology department at CalAcademy and chapter secretary at CalAcademy Workers United, a union that was formed in 2024 after a reduction in workforce that year. She said workers were given little advance notice.
“They did not meet with us to discuss alternatives to layoffs, even though they said that they had exhausted every option,” she said.
Teddy Vollman, enhanced experience facilitator at the Academy and the president of the union, described how some employees first learned about the layoffs through news reports. “It was a very disconcerting thing to have happen to people,” Vollman said.
Both Angel and Vollman shared that they are among those slated for layoffs. As of now, they have only been notified verbally and have not received formal written communication.
Union leaders argue that alternatives such as executive pay cuts, job sharing, or tapping into institutional funds were not seriously considered.
“We have a very large endowment and campaign fund. Those options were not looked into,” Angel said. She pointed to leadership compensation as an area for potential savings, noting that senior leaders collectively earn millions annually.
“There are about 15 people on our senior leadership team, and their combined income is about $5 million a year,” she continued. “Our top priority is saving as many jobs as possible. Our main message is to chop from the top.”
The layoffs come just two years after a similar round of workforce reductions in 2024, raising concerns among staff. Vollman said the repeated cuts risk undermining both employee morale and the institution’s mission.
“Our workforce continues to shrink,” they said, adding that morale is already low and trust in leadership has eroded. “We really want to push for transparency to rebuild that trust.”
For visitors, the changes are expected to be noticeable, though leadership maintains that core experiences will remain intact. According to the Academy, program cuts will be “targeted,” with an emphasis on maintaining popular offerings and revenue-generating activities.
Union members, however, warn that the impact could be broader. Vollman said fewer staff will likely mean fewer public-facing programs and experiences.
“There will still be programs on the public floor, but there will be fewer of them,” they said.
Angel added that reductions across departments, from public programs to planetarium production, could ripple through the institution.
“We won’t be able to serve guests. We won’t be able to continue public programs or the scientific research that this institution is world-renowned for,” she said. “These layoffs are going to deeply affect every aspect of our institution.”
The Academy said the cuts are necessary to stabilize finances and ensure long-term sustainability. About 70% of its operating budget goes toward salaries and benefits, making staffing reductions one of the most immediate ways to reduce expenses.
“Reducing staff is always a last resort. Our dedicated staff members are the lifeblood of the Academy and are instrumental in propelling our mission forward,” said Scott Sampson, executive director at the Academy, in a statement.
Still, union leaders say the next few weeks will be critical as they negotiate with management over the impacts of the layoffs.
“We’re really committed to finding all possible solutions so that as few people are affected as possible,” Angel said.
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