Nearly three weeks after the strike first began, workers from the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum will march to Heritage Minister James Moore’s office Friday to ask him to return the museum’s management to the bargaining table.
After six hours of negotiations on Wednesday afternoon, talks broke down between the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation and striking museum staff.
According to the Public Service Alliance of Canada – which represents around 420 museum workers, who have been on strike since Sept. 21 — the talks were called off after the CMCC demanded that workers withdraw their demands for protection against the contracting out of their jobs.
CMCC issued a statement saying it was surprised at the union representatives’ sudden decision and “disappointed that the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s representatives decided to cut that hopeful process short.”
Maria Fitzpatrick, PSAC executive vice-president for the National Capital Region, said in the current economic climate, it was more important than ever that workers were protected from losing their jobs to the lowest bidder.
“Employers who really value their workers provide them with job security,” she said. “This is essential to museum workers — it means not contracting out their jobs.”
The march leaves the Canadian Museum of Civilization and will go to Heritage Canada before continuing to the Canadian War Museum.
