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The Vancouver Art Gallery remains open but operating with a skeleton staff after 200 unionized workers went on strike Tuesday morning.

Workers, all members of Local 15 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, have voted 96 per cent in favour of a strike and gave the gallery strike notice last week, said union local president Warren Williams.

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On Monday, unionized workers took what is called “work to rule” job action, which means sticking to the letter of their contract, not working any overtime, and strictly following break and lunch times.

Workers are picketing the gallery, Williams said, because management applied to the Labour Board for a vote on its final contract offer. That vote isn’t expected to take place until Feb. 12.

“When they did that, the membership said, ‘We’ve been saying no to this several times,’” he said. “We’ve been bargaining for eight months and fought back a multitude of concessions. And now they’re trying to force us to vote on something we don’t want. That was the breaking point. That’s why we’re out here today.”