*UPDATED 5/25*

What Happened:

• Employees were targeted and terminated for speaking hard truths about the state of the museum and the apparent mismanagement in upper leadership. 

Our goal:

• To get aggrieved employees back to work and to set mutual goals in improving the museum for the community. 

How it can happen: 

• We are interested in mediation with Gilbert House Leadership to achieve the goal of returning to work, working together to improve the museum, and creating a positive outcome for all parties. 
• We need support from the community and city leaders to do this. 

Angelica Perez, former assistant director for A.C. Gilbert House Speaks with Holla... for Labor! on KMUZ:

https://kmuz.org/kmuz-programs/willamette-wake-up/episode/holla-for-labor-goes-to-the-gilbert-house-childrens-museum-in-salem/

Original Statement:

The current and former employees of the Gilbert House Children's Museum have gathered in solidarity to stand up for the ideals of the Museum's namesake, A.C. Gilbert, who held the moral of fair treatment of his employees, giving them support during the difficult times we all face in life. He believed that community began in the workplace. This value is no longer upheld. 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. 

We LOVE the Museum and aim to protect it's legacy. 

The mismanagement of this local treasure of the community is not something we can support, and we believe that the community will agree! You may have noticed that The Gilbert House has been absent at the Keizer Lights Parade, World Beat, Oregon's Birthday, and many more community events they have always attended. This cannot stand. 

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. This may be fun, but it isn't the objective of the Mission Statement for the Museum. Learning through CREATIVE play. 

We ask for your support in calling for reform within the leadership of the Museum. We want to see a return to the focus on learning through creative play, which is the core mission of the Museum. We want to ensure that the Gilbert House Children's Museum continues to be a valuable resource for children and families in our community. 

In order to support, you can make posts, share, write to the board of directors, and make it known that you stand with us for this change. 

Signed,

-Gilbert House Employees for Change