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Q&A
Comparison of Brooklyn Museum director's approach in 2016 and present
1:00:11
ยท
138 sec
Council Member Hudson inquires about the Brooklyn Museum director's different approach to the current financial crisis compared to 2016. Henry Garrido explains that the director is the same, but the lack of city hall involvement and guided conversations might be influencing the current situation.
- The museum director was the same in 2016 when furloughs were implemented
- In 2016, there was more city hall involvement, including the first deputy mayor
- The current situation lacks the same level of guided conversation and shared sacrifice approach
Crystal Hudson
1:00:11
Thank you and thank you so much for your testimony.
1:00:14
My first question is was the director the same in 2016 when you said you had the furloughs and
Henry Garrido
1:00:22
Yes, Sorry
Carmen N. De La Rosa
1:00:23
about that.
Henry Garrido
1:00:25
Yes, it was the same direction.
Crystal Hudson
1:00:26
Okay.
1:00:27
So what is your sense as to why maybe she's not open to similar tactics that were used in the past to save jobs?
Henry Garrido
1:00:39
Well, honestly, I get alone and we talk all the time.
1:00:43
When Anne passed in, we faced a lot of issues.
1:00:46
When the COVID nineteen crisis hit, I was leading the fight to get the the New York delegation to get federal funding into the museums even though they weren't classified at the time.
1:00:58
If you recall, a lot was said.
1:01:00
So there were a lot of conversations there.
1:01:02
I think, in all honesty, there was a city hall involvement in those conversations that is not present this time around.
1:01:11
So I don't wanna put just a museum.
1:01:14
It was the first deputy mayor at the time, Dean Fullerham, who said from the city's perspective, this is where we are.
1:01:20
I heard from the commissioner today.
1:01:22
We're gonna have commit conversations about that.
1:01:25
But I think the problem is time is of the essence.
1:01:27
You need somebody who's gonna guide this.
1:01:29
And and I don't wanna put what is happening in the city as a as a way.
1:01:34
But I think that's real.
1:01:36
Yeah.
1:01:36
That if you don't have somebody on that end who can commit to certain things because what we found as a solution 02/2016 was we needed to spread the pain.
1:01:48
We didn't bury ourselves and didn't acknowledge the museum was facing financial institutions.
1:01:53
But it was a combination of things.
1:01:55
It was the institution of the voluntary contributions.
1:01:59
It was furloughs.
1:02:00
We made a change to other things that were necessary for the museum.
1:02:04
And we had a table of things to get to a savings.
1:02:08
Some were concessions quite frankly in the union.
1:02:11
It wasn't just the union workers who took a furlough.
1:02:13
Management took a furlough too.
1:02:16
And that's what I mean by shared sacrifices.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
1:02:18
Right.
Henry Garrido
1:02:19
But we don't have that this time.
1:02:20
And so I hope that between now and before anybody loses their job that that happens.