Vancouver Art Gallery reaches new collective agreement with CUPE Local 15
VAG employees to receive wage increases, provisions around remote work
Vancouver Art Gallery
VANCOUVER ART GALLERY and CUPE Local 15 have today announced the ratification of a new collective agreement.
CUPE Local 15 is the union that represents the organization’s 159 bargaining unit employees.
The new agreement is effective from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2026.
Under the four-year agreement, employees will receive a 2.75 percent increase plus an additional 25 cents per hour in year one, with a 2.5 percent increase in year two and a 2 percent increase in each of years three and four.
The deal also includes new provisions around remote work to best support the evolving needs of employees and Gallery operations.’
The Gallery and CUPE Local 15 began collective bargaining in February 2023. The parties met a total fof 13 times over the past four months, with members ratifying the new Collective Agreement on June 8.
“We are pleased to have completed this round of negotiations and reached a deal that provides stability for workers and improved services for Vancouver Art Gallery visitors,” CUPE 15’s VAG Bargaining Committee said in a release. “CUPE 15 members who work at the Vancouver Art Gallery are passionate about the work they do and the impact it has on our community. We look forward to continuing to work with the Vancouver Art Gallery to provide high wuality services and an enjoyable guest experience for all Vancouver Art Gallery visitors.”
Anthony Kiendl, CEO and director of the Vancouver Art Gallery, added: “As the Gallery continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to have reached a deal with CUPE Local 15 so that staff and management can focus on delivering rich and engaging exhibitions, programs and access to art for the people of British Columbia. I would like to thank CUPE Local 15 for the spirit of collaboration that was achieved during these negotiations, and also our staff, for their continued dedication and commitment.”
Having just opened at the VAG is Fashion Fictions, which runs to October 8. The exhibition's launch took the form of an epic Art Party and features couture, streetwear, sneakers, headgear, and other pieces of wearable design that meet at the intersection of art and style. Stay tuned to Stir for more coverage.
Related Articles
The artist’s solo exhibition of prints at the Burnaby Art Gallery looks back on years immersed in the creative and philosophical view of interdependence in Nuu-chah-nulth culture
Recently opened gallery’s first exhibition features works by 15 artists, including Germaine Koh, Liz Magor, Cindy Mochizuki, and Jin-me Yoon
Long-term sustainability in sight for Artists for Kids and Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art, as endowment fund now sits at $4.3 million
Theatre Replacement’s nearly sold-out holiday tradition continues at The Cultch’s York Theatre to January 11
The sector will see a reduction of 12 percent, or $6 million, in funding
From the Toque Craft Fair to The Polygon’s Holiday Shop, events offer unique finds such as Vancouver Special–shaped tree decorations and soy-sauce-bottle-shaped earrings
Discipline-crossing shows from as far away as Zimbabwe and Argentina hit a variety of stages from January 22 to February 8, 2026
Former director of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement was the fest’s curator-in-residence for 2025
Roger Mahler’s minimalist, line-based work is in marked contrast to xinleh’s surreal illustrations
Pieces ranging from sculptures to paintings are on display at The Cultch’s Historic Theatre, Alternative Creations Gallery, and Pendulum Gallery
Rooted in Secwépemc knowledge, Willard’s work sits in collections at the Vancouver Art Gallery and elsewhere
Trailblazer shot everything from fashion in front of bombed-out buildings to the liberation of Dachau and Buchenwald
This year’s 300-plus artisan offerings include wood tree ornaments in the shape of provinces and hoodies with hand-painted West Coast vistas
At ceremony last night, prize went to Janet Smith’s investigative article on touring funding; Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Keith Baldrey, the Bill Good Award to Sean Holman, and Shelley Fralic Award to Laura Palmer
Casey and Diana, Burning Mom, Behind the Moon, and Yaga shared the spotlight with prizes for Bard on the Beach’s The Dark Lady, Theatre for Young Audience category’s Otosan, Small Budget dominator The Sound Inside, and much more
Filmmakers including Chris Ferguson back plan to save Cambie Street’s Art Deco cinema that Cineplex had shut down Sunday
Radix Theatre project helps put paint supplies in the hands of marginalized artists whose works will show on bus shelters and at November 4 art sale
Also in the running to transform the historic 125,000-square-foot building is nonprofit organization 221A
Winners will be announced at a Granville Island Stage ceremony on November 3
With the help of a mediator, the musicians and the VSO Society have come to a tentative agreement
Attending VIFF, NFB chair Suzanne Guèvremont has a new strategic plan that strives to reach out to the next generation
Specific design proposals expected in 2026; Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron’s original plan had been discarded in December
He’s made his name reimagining everyday objects, including reconstructing Nike Air Jordan sneakers to resemble Northwest Coast Indigenous masks
Several concerts over the weekend will not go ahead
In-depth article shone a light on B.C. contemporary-dance artists wrestling with the fallout of losing Canada Council tour funding
Goblin:Oedipus and Antigone set to hit the Douglas Campbell Theatre next season
At award gala, Vancouver poet Fred Wah received Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence.
