TORONTO – Staff at the Art Gallery of Ontario represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union are pleased to present an exhibition featuring local artists who address workers' rights and other social and political issues in their art.

Wednesday, December 8
8 p.m. -- Remarks and performances
The Alternative Gallery of Ontario (Local 535 Strike Headquarters)
334 Dundas Street West (across from the other AGO)

AGO employees have worked with cartoonist Mike Constable to curate this exhibition. "It is a way of engaging in the issues threatening their wages and job security, said Lenny Fridman, Local 535 President, while at the same time celebrating our expertise and dedication to promoting and displaying art."

More than a dozen artists are participating, including Constable, designer Barbara Klunder, Carol Conde and Karl Beveridge, and photographer David Smiley.

AGO staff voted by more than 95 per cent in favour of a strike. Among the issues are wage freezes and management's demand for a two-tier wage system for retail, food and beverage workers, with new hires to be paid much lower wages. This would exploit future workers and threaten the job security of existing ones. The AGO also wants volunteers to replace paid workers. Fridman says this not only threatens union jobs, it takes advantage of the volunteers who give so freely of their time.

OPSEU Local 535 will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01am on Monday, Dec. 13, and will close the AGO if they cannot reach a contract settlement. Mediation is scheduled for Dec. 9.

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For further information:

 AGO Bargaining Information | Press Release Index