News release

May 26, 2005

Canadian Museum of Civilization must get off privatization bandwagon, stop cutting services

OTTAWA –   “The damage caused by the gradual privatization of the Canadian Museum of Civilization can already be seen – fewer services to visitors, a trend towards a reduction in the quality of exhibitions and increased reliance on temporary staff from private agencies,” says Ed Cashman, the executive vice-president of the National Capital Region of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. 

“The shock, though less spectacular than that of a volcanic eruption, will be permanent, if the management of the museum does not change its way of doing things,” Cashman added. “We cannot allow this situation to get worse and not say anything.”

He was alongside workers of the Canadian Museum of Civilization who were demonstrating against the increasing reliance on privatization by management of the museum.  The demonstration took place at a time when the museum was staging a major exhibition on the Italian town of Pompeii, which was buried beneath the ashes of Vesuvius in AD 79.

About 400 members of the PSAC, who are currently negotiating a new collective agreement with the museum, included among their priority demands less reliance on subcontracting (see clause in the complementary document).  “We wanted the employer to stop its ever increasing practice of turning to the private sector to perform work we are best able to do because of our training and expertise, said Audrey Vermette, the spokesperson for the museum’s employees.  “Moreover, it is not even cost-effective.  Back in 1999, the Museum spent $6.6 million for the services of outside consultants and agencies, a figure that climbed to $11.6 million last year, a spectacular increase of 75% in five years.”

“Year after year, the Canadian Museum of Civilization has been sidestepping the mandate given to it by the Parliament of Canada and earmarking increasing funds to the privatization of its operations,” said Ed Cashman.  “Parliament has entrusted some 3.5 million artifacts to the museum so that they can be restored, protected and put to use.  Management has so little regard for this heritage that it is willing to turn over the protection of these valuables to persons who have neither the same level of training, nor the same expertise as its employees.”

PSAC represents about 400 workers at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which includes the Canadian Children’s Museum, the Postal Museum and the new War Museum.  PSAC members are responsible for setting up exhibitions, greeting visitors, handling security, administration and the maintenance of the museum’s artifacts.  Their collective agreement expired on March 31, 2005.  Negotiations between the parties began in April, after the union had requested conciliation on March 21.

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Information:            Alain Cossette, PSAC Communications

(613) 560-4317 or (613) 293-9210 (cell)

24-260505

Additional notes

Article tabled by the PSAC at the bargaining table about contracting out

ARTICLE 6

WORK OF THE BARGAINING UNIT

Rename: PROTECTION OF BARGAINING UNIT WORK

6.01

• (a) Non-bargaining unit personnel shall not perform duties assigned to those employees who are covered by this Agreement.
• (b) The functions of volunteers shall not be expanded beyond the extent ofexisting practice as of April 1, 1997.
• (c) No employee within the bargaining unit shall be laid off by reason of their duties being assigned to volunteers.
• (d) There shall be no contracting out or privatization of bargaining unit work or loss of bargaining unit positions during the life of the collective agreement.

The union wishes to discuss the use of volunteers by the Corporation and the supervision of volunteers by members of the bargaining unit and reserves the right to submit further proposals on Article 6.

The union wishes to discuss staffing levels at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

The union wishes to discuss additional staff positions with respect to the War Museum.