Ottawa museum employees hold strike vote
Last Updated: Thursday, August 27, 2009 | 12:55 PM ET
CBC News
Employees at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (above) and the Canadian War Museum have been without a contract since April. (Rebecca Zandbergen/CBC))Employees at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum were to vote Thursday on whether to strike if they can't reach a deal with their employer.
The 420 guides, hosts and other floor staff represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada have been without a contract since April 1, and negotiations between the union and the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corp. recently broke down.
Patrice Remillard, a collections manager at the Museum of Civilization who is also on the union negotiating team, said employees at the two museums want to be paid as much as their counterparts at the Museum of Nature who are paid up to 40 per cent more.
"We're doing the same job, same level," Remillard added Thursday.
Museum of Civilization employee Patrice Remillard said job security is a major issue, as many staff are on contract. (Rebecca Zandbergen/CBC)Chantal Schryer, vice-president of public affairs for the Crown corporation that runs the two museums, said that kind of comparison isn't fair. Different museums have different jobs with different titles and responsibilities, she added.
Remillard said job security is another major issue as most staff are on contract.
"Management lets them go, [then] they call them back two three weeks after," he said. "There are already some permanent position but we're looking for more so people can have a career at the museum."
Ann Rae, another collections manager at the Museum of Civilization, said going from contract to contract affects workers' salary and benefits.
"You lose your pay level, you start right from the bottom constantly over and over and over again."
Schryer said many of the contract employees are students.
"The formula that we have seems to fit their needs and our needs," she added.
