Thunder Bay Public Library workers and their supporters held a media conference on Thursday outside the Waverley branch as a strike deadline draws near, with no new contract yet reached more than a year after the previous agreement expired.
More than 70 employees at the library are represented by two union locals, CUPE 3120 and CUPE 87-18. CUPE 3120 covers library assistants, library technicians, custodial and maintenance staff, network and software support analysts, community facilitators and finance staff, while CUPE 87-18 represents seven full-time librarians. According to the unions, management has pushed for a series of concessions during negotiations for a renewed collective agreement.
Strike Deadline Set for Mid-October
The unions say they face a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. on Friday, October 16. If no deal is reached by that time, picket lines would go up at all four Thunder Bay library branches. That timing means a strike could still be in effect during the city’s municipal elections on October 26.
At the media conference, held in the parkette across from the Waverley branch, speakers addressed what they described as the impact on library services from management’s approach to working conditions. Those who spoke included Deryk Fournier, president of CUPE 87; Carlos Santander-Maturana, president of the Thunder Bay & District Labour Council; Yolanda McClean, president of CUPE Ontario; and Lise Vaugeois, the Ontario NDP MPP for Thunder Bay–Superior North.
Concerns Over Waverley Branch Closure
Union representatives also raised concerns about an upcoming year-long closure of the Waverley branch for renovations. They said management has not confirmed any plans to maintain library service or continue programming at an alternate location while the branch is closed.
As of the media conference, no new agreement had been announced between the library and the two CUPE locals, and the parties continue to work against the mid-October strike deadline.
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