Official Statement from the DIA Staff Action
Over the past few months, DIA Staff Action (DIASA) has consulted multiple current and former colleagues of the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), local activists, community organizers, mentors across the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector, and national organizations to prepare community demands for the DIA.These demands are a direct response to the now well-reported hostile and chaotic work culture that has affected the quality and accessibility of the service offerings for DIA’s constituents. 

DIASA is the umbrella term for all current and former staff who have collaborated on preparing the demands. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (the Act) guarantees employees "the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection," as well as the right "to refrain from any or all such activities." Section 8(a)(1) of the Act states that it is an unfair labor practice for an employer "to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in Section 7" of the Act. 

Since the release of recent articles from the New York Times, Artnet news, and the Detroit Free Press, many new contributors have continued to come forward. To respectfully integrate their voices, we will host two digital Town Halls for live discussions. We will share information about these events via our @DIAstaffaction Twitter account.

If you are a current or former DIA staff member or a community partner affected by the current leadership, and would like to share your story, please do so using this form. If you have any questions, please reach out to us via Twitter DMs, or send an email to diastaffaction@gmail.com

The full demands will be released in the following days.

Today we officially announce our first and most critical demand:

We ask that Salvador Salort-Pons be removed from his role as Director, President & Chief Executive Officer and any other involvement at the Detroit Institute of Arts by August 31, 2020

To all who have contributed so far and who will in the next days and weeks: Thank you.

We are confident that better days are ahead as the Cultural sector is awakening and demanding better practices. 

We will support each other, and as the Ubuntu proverb says:
“I am because you are”

DIA Staff Action