No doubt you will have heard the news – the Powerhouse Museum has been saved. In the face of a sustained campaign by the PSA and community groups, the Government has been forced to backtrack on its plans to sell and shut down the Ultimo site. The Government has also committed to going ahead with a now additional Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta. While the specific details of what form the Ultimo site will take in the future has yet to be confirmed, the win means hundreds of jobs have been saved, and hundreds of jobs will be created.
When the Government decided to move the Powerhouse to Parramatta the PSA said “why not have two museums?” We have maintained that stance throughout this campaign. It should never have been Parramatta or the city.
This is a win for everybody. Parramatta, Sydney, school children now and into the future, the wider community, the local businesses that surround the complex and of course our members.
Futures were at stake, and this is another satisfying win for our valued members who bring the exhibits of the Powerhouse to life, hot off the heels of significant wins for casuals throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This is a win for the consistent, inclusive and sensible approach by the PSA, it’s members and amazing delegates, and all those others out there who made this a successful campaign.
The PSA will hold a meeting with PSA members in the coming week to debrief this historic win.
This victory would not have been possible without community groups, unions and PSA members working together.
Collective voices coming together have created real change. Change that will create and protect cultural museum jobs. That is the power of a Union.
There are undoubtedly still struggles ahead. The PSA will continue to fight for our members and their concerns going forward. However, it is important to take a moment and celebrate an enormous win for the collective against a Government that was determined to sell off the Ultimo site for “development”.
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