Saskatoon library workers strike for better pay and safer work conditions

Library service associate Pam Ryder says she remembers the first time she saw someone overdose at her workplace 10 years ago.

"Every time I walk into a bathroom, I take a step back and take a deep breath, and it's like that for everybody," said Ryder.

Dozens of Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) workers represented by CUPE 2669 along with Ryder rallied in downtown on Tuesday afternoon to demand better wages and safer working conditions. The union issued a strike notice Thursday, giving the employers five days to return to the bargaining table.

Ryder said library workers are not trying to get rid of patrons, but they want the proper tools and resources to do their jobs.

"We want more people on service points, we want help from our managers [and] we don't want to be scared and belittled all the time," said Ryder.

Carol Shepstone, SPL's director of libraries and CEO, said in a news release that SPL is "deeply disappointed" the union decided to strike, despite "constructive" negotiations.

Shepstone added that SPL is committed to the collective bargaining process and that it has never walked away from negotiations or refused to meet with CUPE.

Alyssa Bryant, a senior library service associate, also highlighted safety concerns ranging from inappropriate comments to being followed home, but also being alone for several hours while some of these incidents occurred.

Making sure employees are never working alone is a top priority of the union, according to its president Kent Peterson. He said SPL hasn't moved far enough on the issue.

SPL's website says employees do not work alone with the public, and that it schedules workers so there are employees working at service desks, roving and shelving books.

Peterson said that's not necessarily the case.

"There may be multiple people, more than one person in a building or in a facility, but someone is working alone at the check-in counter [or] at the front desk, while maybe another person who's doing maintenance or facility maintenance is often in the back or somewhere else out of sight," said Peterson at the rally.

Another issue the library workers' union takes issue with is wages, saying they don't accurately reflect the rising cost of living.

SPL said it made CUPE a new offer after a "positive" day of mediation on Nov. 7, but said the union has not responded to that offer as of Tuesday morning.

CUPE said during mediation a verbal offer was made, but then rescinded that offer the next morning. The union said on Sunday a new offer was made by SPL, which CUPE rejected because it was not the same as the verbal one SPL made in mediation.

SPL said they made a written offer on the weekend and still have not heard back from CUPE on that offer, but look forward to hearing from them. SPL said it has never rescinded an offer.

The union told CBC it was meeting with SPL on Tuesday afternoon, and more job action would depend on how that meeting went.