Power Plant Gallery Workers Caught in 'Power Struggle'
The union that represents workers at The Power Plant says the gallery's board, which recently resigned en masse, ignored longstanding labour issues, leaving anxious employees caught in the middle of its "power struggle" with Harbourfront Centre, the gallery's landlord and primary funder.
"The issues we faced as employees were obvious and apparent for years however the board never stepped in to address them," Local 535, part of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said in a written statement released on social media. "We have had staff members quit repeatedly in recent years, also sometimes en masse, which is obvious from the incredibly high turnover rate."
The governance crisis comes amid legal wrangling following Harbourfront's decision to dismiss 12 of the board's 27 members.
The Power Plant and the Harbourfront Centre are closely linked but separate non-profits. The centre employs the gallery's staff and appoints 13 of the board's 27 members. Two other members are Harbourfront employees, and 12 are independently elected.
Harbourfront has said programming and daily operations at the gallery will continue as usual. But employees are worried the crisis will affect bargaining for their first collective agreement. Talks are slated to resume in October.
Employees began organizing after management failed to provide an "adequate response" to repeated issues raised by staff, according to Local 535.
"Arts and culture workers are integral to the financial, creative and social health of institutions," it says. "They are deserving of fair compensation, a safe workplace and job security, as these are fundamental rights that should be afforded to all workers."
Source: OPSEU Local 535