After threatening to strike, 76 maintenance, parking and security staff have entered contract negotiations with the National Arts Centre.
The workers have been without a contract for two-and-a-half years, says Larry Rousseau, the regional executive vice-president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents the NAC workers of Local 70291. However, Rosemary Thompson, the NAC’s director of communications, says the current dispute is part of normal contract negotiations that happen every three years.
“The National Arts Centre has an excellent record in terms of labour negotiations and working well with the different unionized staff,” Thompson says. “The NAC values its staff and we value all the members of PSAC.”
The workers held a vote on Sept. 5, choosing to strike if their issues are not resolved by Sept. 25.
Teams are currently in negotiation to resolve issues related to working conditions, staffing problems, job security and wages. The employees especially want to see a wage increase that goes above matching the inflation rate, Rousseau says.
“When you simply keep pace with inflation, you haven’t really made any wage gains,” Rousseau says. “Anything above inflation helps to say, well, at least we’re doing better.”
Government funding portion of the NAC budget has declined 10 per cent in the last ten years, Thompson says.
“We’ve been able to sustain our budgets by selling more tickets,” Thompson says. “If you look at what’s happening with government funding across the board, it’s declining . . . We also try and sell more tickets so we don’t have to make as severe cuts here.”
Government funding and any revenue from ticket sales are what cover the wages of staff who work at the NAC, Thompson says.
“Like with all contracts, we have to be conscious of the environment that we live in,” Thompson says. “The people that work for the Public Service Alliance of Canada have been offered a similar wage agreement that other unions in the building have accepted over the last three years.”
PSAC is planning ahead in case the labour dispute does result in a strike.
“The parking garage . . . People who work downtown, park there during the day,” Rousseau explains. “That’s why we’re giving people as much advance notice as possible… You might come to park, but there could be a picket line.”
PSAC is concerned it took a strike vote to get the NAC back at the table.
“During that two-and-a-half year time there was really nothing on the table other than a concession, which was to cash out their voluntary severance package,” Rousseau says. “It does seem as if it takes the threat of the strike to get them back to the table.”
Despite their preparations, PSAC and the workers they represent say they want to resolve the issues without a strike if possible.
“Our number one priority for PSAC . . . is to achieve a negotiated settlement at the table,” Rousseau says. “But at the same time, we will be ramping up activities to increase the pressure.”
The NAC says it’s confident that the labour dispute can be resolved.
“We have a wonderful working relationship with everybody at the NAC,” says Thompson. “We haven’t had any labour unrest for over 15 years. . . we think we can work this out at the negotiating table.”
The last strike to happen in NAC history was in Nov. 1998 when the musicians from the NAC Orchestra went to the streets over unresolved salary issues.
UPDATE: The National Arts Centre and the Public Service Alliance of Canada reached a three-year agreement on Sept. 29 following negotiations, according to a press release by the NAC.
The 76 maintenance, parking, and security staff will see a general wage increase and other benefits.
The NAC board of trustees will meet this week to vote on the agreement.