Members of the transition team expressed disappointment to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 following the abrupt staff cuts at Pittsburgh Public Theater last week.A merger between Pittsburgh Public and the Pittsburgh CLO is being led by a four-member team of consultants, who say the staff cuts did more harm than good.Staff reported for work last Tuesday only to be told they no longer have jobs, followed by a letter from Board Chair Krysia Kubiak.”I was heartbroken,” Brett Crawford, transition leader for the merger, told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Tuesday. “They are all fantastic human beings, and no one should have to go through that, ever.”Laura Greenawalt, transition project manager, said the cuts ignited harsh public backlash, which impacted their ability to pursue funding sources for the merger.”It’s caused a lot of mistrust. It’s definitely caused some steps backward in the work that we were doing that we thought was really grounded in what we want as a community of artists,” Greenawalt said. Greenawalt and Crawford said the transition team is still pushing forward to create a business model that is sustainable for the new organization that comes from the merger.That business model is expected to be presented to Pittsburgh Public and the CLO by the end of July, with the hope of bringing back the staff members let go last week.”We want to keep them close, we want to stay in communication with them, and when we’re at the point of beginning to bring on people to jobs, we will reach out to them,” Crawford said.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH —

Members of the transition team expressed disappointment to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 following the abrupt staff cuts at Pittsburgh Public Theater last week.

A merger between Pittsburgh Public and the Pittsburgh CLO is being led by a four-member team of consultants, who say the staff cuts did more harm than good.

Staff reported for work last Tuesday only to be told they no longer have jobs, followed by a letter from Board Chair Krysia Kubiak.

“I was heartbroken,” Brett Crawford, transition leader for the merger, told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Tuesday. “They are all fantastic human beings, and no one should have to go through that, ever.”

Laura Greenawalt, transition project manager, said the cuts ignited harsh public backlash, which impacted their ability to pursue funding sources for the merger.

“It’s caused a lot of mistrust. It’s definitely caused some steps backward in the work that we were doing that we thought was really grounded in what we want as a community of artists,” Greenawalt said.

Greenawalt and Crawford said the transition team is still pushing forward to create a business model that is sustainable for the new organization that comes from the merger.

That business model is expected to be presented to Pittsburgh Public and the CLO by the end of July, with the hope of bringing back the staff members let go last week.

“We want to keep them close, we want to stay in communication with them, and when we’re at the point of beginning to bring on people to jobs, we will reach out to them,” Crawford said.

Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.