Museum of Civilization and War Museum workers
By e-mail – Victor.Rabinovitch@civilisations.ca
November 30, 2009
Dr. Victor Rabinovitch
President and CEO
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian War Museum
100 Laurier Street
Gatineau, Québec K1A 0M8
Dear Mr. Rabinovitch:
As you are aware, our respective negotiating teams returned to the bargaining table in mediation on Friday, November 20th, and after six days of deliberation and negotiation, the Corporation presented its final offer to the union’s negotiating team. In good faith, our team submitted the Corporation’s final offer to a secret ballot vote of the union’s membership, a vote in which the vast majority of the bargaining unit participated. The union’s membership voted to reject the Corporation’s final offer, by a considerable margin.
In its communications since that vote, the Corporation has expressed disappointment at the decision made by the employees, and has labeled the union’s negotiating team as intransigent and unreasonable. Clearly, our members feel the same about the position that has been taken by the Corporation in negotiations.
After eight months of negotiation, including conciliation and three rounds of mediation, and after eleven weeks of job action, the parties remain far apart on key issues. If each party considers the other intransigent and inflexible, I suggest that the reasonable and responsible thing for the parties to do at this juncture, given the circumstances, is for us to submit those issues that remain in dispute to a neutral third party for binding arbitration.
The Corporation has stated that it prefers a negotiated settlement. We feel the same. Should the parties agree to binding arbitration, opportunity for negotiation does not end, as many of our bargaining units that employ binding arbitration often reach negotiated settlements. Yet, while opportunity for negotiation does not end, the work stoppage does, which we believe is in the interests of both parties.
I suggest that, after months of negotiation and considerable labour strife, it is time that we submit our dispute to a neutral third party so that the museums may again resume full operations and Canadians might again access the important services that our members – your employees – provide.
Sincerely,
John Gordon,
National President
c.c.
Minister Rona Ambrose
CMCC Board of Trustees
Date Modified : 2010/07/29
