KIMBERLEY, BC – Workers at Kimberley Arts Council – Centre 64 will now have union representation through the Arts and Cultural Workers Union (ACWU), IATSE Local B778. The application for certification was filed with the BC Labour Relations Board on October 27. Card-check certification in the province states that once a minimum of 55% of workers sign union representation cards, the wishes of the majority are clear and a vote is deemed unnecessary. The BC Labour Board issued the certification on November 1st. This effort marks the Kimberley Arts Council as the first arts council to unionize with Local B778.
Built in 1926, Centre 64 has been home to the city’s arts and culture community since 1976. It is a multi-purpose arts centre boasting a 126-seat theatre and a two-storey art gallery, as well as a dance studio, fibre arts studio, ceramics studio, and meeting and workshop rooms. Its mission it to enhance the artistic culture of the community and to make the arts inviting and accessible for all.
The Centre 64 workers expressed a desire to ensure that the gallery is a stable and sustainable workplace for themselves and all future workers. “Joining IATSE Local B778 is crucial for safeguarding our rights and livelihoods. Balancing the power to negotiate fair wages and better working conditions will benefit all parties at the Kimberley Arts Council. This process has fostered a sense of solidarity and support amongst the staff, and hopefully, it will allow us to continue contributing to the thriving creative community in the Kootenays. We are grateful for the support we have received from the union.”
B-778 exists to represent any and all workers in the arts and culture sector in BC, providing representation even to these smaller bargaining units of workers who may not have considered unionization an option. BC-based arts workers looking for union representation are encouraged to contact Local B778 President Conor Moore at cmoore@acwu.ca or 778-668-3874.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Krista Hurdon, IATSE International Representative
khurdon@iatse.net