Halifax Public Libraries staff hit the picket line for first day of strike

Halifax Public Libraries staff are on strike after conciliation talks between the employer and their union ended over the weekend without an agreement.

"It was a difficult decision for the bargaining team to make yesterday to actually walk away from the table at the end of the day and prepare for a strike," Chad Murphy, a vice-president of the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees Local 14, told CBC News while picketing outside the Alderney Gate Public Library in Dartmouth, N.S., on Monday.

"Obviously we're all devastated. We love the work we do."

Negotiations had been ongoing since last October between Halifax Public Libraries and the union, which represents 340 employees. The strike began at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

"When we did get down to the money yesterday, we were hoping to make a deal," Murphy said. "The closest we were at one point was a dollar over four years difference, which we calculated to about $156,000 give or take. And they came back with twenty-five cents on that. So it was at that point that we were still at an impasse and we had to take the action."

Behind Murphy, fellow union members chanted, "Twenty-five cents, that's outrageous. Pay your workers living wages."

"I feel like our wage ask was not unreasonable considering what we were doing and the dollar over the four years, it doesn't amount to a lot and our message was that you're looking for a four-year contract? You need to budge a little more," Murphy said.

In a statement, Halifax Public Libraries acknowledged concerns over the increase in the cost of living but said its final offer aligned with other agreements with unions representing public employees.

Murphy said the union is also looking to address issues such as parental top-ups for adoptive parents, sick leave provisions and a safe working environment.

"We do see violence on a daily basis, whether that's verbal abuse or physical abuse to staff members from the public. Currently we have no provisions in our collective agreement. We are allowed to walk away if we feel like we're in a situation, we are provided with non-violent crisis intervention training but that's not always going to solve issues."

Across Canada, public libraries are seeing a rise in security incidents. Halifax Public Libraries reported 214 incidents in 2023 — an increase from a reported 96 incidents in 2022.

"We're not equipped to deal with social issues, so when we're put into these positions, how do we cope with this?" Murphy said. "We're really trying to improve the work conditions and spread awareness of what the library actually has to offer." 

While WiFi was still available outside the Alderney Gate library, Murphy said the closure of libraries is a big loss to people who rely on its services and amenities.

Corrie Hayward, who is experiencing homelessness, told CBC News the library closure means the loss of a safe space.

"That's where people that lost their inspiration can refind it. And yeah, I've seen that a few times and it's quite beautiful," Hayward said.

Karla Henderson of West Jeddore, N.S., wrote a letter to officials about the library strike because she said the library is the heart of communities. She said she is a "frequent flyer" of the Musquodoboit Harbour Public Library.

"The role of the library has changed. I worked in a public library 20 years ago and at that time, there was no pandemic [and the response of libraries] to the needs of citizens with regard to health and safety, there was not the finger on the pulse of cultural sensitivities in the areas that we see today with gender diversity, sexuality diversity," Henderson said.

"I would even go so far as to say today a library can save a life because of the resources for those marginalized communities. We have increased immigration here in Nova Scotia and a lot of the immigrants and newcomers to the province use the resources extensively."

Henderson said libraries are also a reliable internet source for people in rural communities.

"A lot of the patrons go there just to use the technology the library provides."