Workers at the Art Gallery of Ontario have ratified a new collective agreement, concluding the first-ever strike at the institution, which lasted a month. Members of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 535, encompassing a wide range of gallery staff, voted 85% in favor of the agreement in an online vote that ended on April 26.
The agreement, affecting over 400 employees including archivists, curators, art handlers, and educators, introduces a 11.4% wage increase for both full-time and part-time workers. It also includes enhancements such as a 1% retroactive pay adjustment from December 1, 2021, and improvements in terms of meal allowances, shift premiums, and bereavement leave.
Paul Ayers, president of OPSEU/SEFPO Local 535, highlighted the broader implications of the strike: “The dedication of workers standing up together after years of deteriorating working conditions at the gallery was nothing short of inspiring.” He also criticized previous wage caps, noting, “As public service employees, our wages were unconstitutionally capped at a 1% annual increase since 2020.”
The new contract spans from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2025, with provisions for a wage reopener and clauses designed to limit third-party contracting. These measures are seen as a step against the precarity of labor conditions at the gallery.
In the wake of the strike, JP Hornick, re-elected president of OPSEU/SEFPO, emphasized the potential long-term benefits: “This agreement opens important doors in the fight against encroaching and long-standing precarity at the Art Gallery of Ontario.”
Ayers also thanked the community and labor supporters who joined the picket lines, acknowledging the solidarity that bolstered the union’s position: “The relationships workers forge with each other through strikes are a mosaic of victories. We’re facing tomorrow together, as a stronger union.” He signified a preparedness to continue their advocacy, stressing that the resolution of this strike marks a beginning rather than an end to their efforts.
