Ontario Arts Council employees form a union

Employees of the Ontario Arts Council have formed a union. A new bargaining unit has been established as part of  The Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) following a vote supervised by the Ontario Labour Relations Board held on February 6. The new union covers granting, communications, research, outreach, administrative and finance staff employed at the OAC's Bloor Street headquarters in Toronto as well as two representatives in Sudbury and Thunder Bay. This includes staff in the literature office, which most often interacts with literary and cultural magazines. 

The union was established in 1992 and represents employees both inside the Ontario public service and outside of it: such agencies as the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth; Waypoint Mental Health Centre in Penetanguishene; Public Health Ontario; the Ontario Racing Commission; and Health Quality Ontario.

"We are honoured that the OAC staff chose AMAPCEO," said Association President and CEO Gary Gannage in a release. "The OAC and its employees do important work in promoting the arts and providing funding to the arts community in Ontario. A collective agreement will go a long way to ensure that they are able to focus on those responsibilities and continue to serve their stakeholders without having to worry about job security, working conditions and compensation."