TORONTO – Planned layoffs at the Art Gallery of Ontario
will threaten programs and activities at the gallery and could impact
the preservation of the collections, says the Ontario Public Service
Employees Union.
On Feb. 26, management at the AGO notified staff at the
gallery, members of OPSEU Local 535, that over 100 jobs could be
eliminated. Last week, management met with the union executive to
describe that these job losses were due to “restructuring” and
“organizational changes.” The union was told that management had been
in a review process for 18 months in which they studied various U.S.
museums as models.
Local union executive members met with the employer this
week to discuss the reason for the layoffs, but management at the AGO
refused to give any details.
“We want to know why these layoffs are necessary, and
discuss reasonable alternatives,” says Paula Whitmore, Local 535 union
steward. “So far, the employer has stonewalled our attempts to get
information, and only wants to discuss severance packages and
eliminating full-time jobs.”
OPSEU Local 535 members run education programs at the
gallery, including activities for children and families. They also care
for and maintain collections, exhibitions and the building itself.
“The people who manage the AGO are doing it with
taxpayer’s money, and they must be accountable,” says Whitmore. “The
first line of accountability is to the employees who work at the
gallery, so we can maintain the high standards that are expected of the
AGO. Any plans that will harm programs or the care of the collections
are short-sighted and irresponsible.”
The newly rebuilt AGO re-opened to the public in
November 2008 after a successful campaign that raised over $300
million.
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