Saskatoon Public Library workers issue five-day strike notice

Workers at the Saskatoon Public Library are ready to hit the picket lines on Tuesday if they don’t see an offer that addresses their wage and safety concerns.

CUPE 2669, the union representing about 270 public library workers in the city, said in a statement on Thursday morning that it gave management five days to get back to the bargaining table. It’s been without a deal since June 2023.

In an emailed response, the Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) said it was informed there would be a work stoppage on Tuesday, and that staff would return to work on Wednesday.

“Ongoing job action could take many forms,” SPL said in the statement. “Since CUPE 2669 is not required to inform SPL of the specific nature of the job action, we may be unable to give advance notice to patrons if library services are disrupted.”

Patrons should check the library’s website or call before visiting a location on Tuesday, the library said in its statement.

According to the union, staff are demanding wages that keep up with the rising cost of living and a deal that addresses “mounting safety concerns in Saskatoon libraries.”

The union had reached a tentative agreement with library management in September, after the involvement of a government-appointed mediator, but the deal was voted down by members.

SPL says it's “disappointed” that CUPE 2669 members rejected the deal, which he says included fair and reasonable wage increases and measures to address staff safety concerns.

CUPE says library staff are regularly left to work alone at each service point, leaving them vulnerable, as many have faced violence on the job.

A 2022 CUPE survey of public library staff, primarily from Saskatoon and Regina, found that half of them have experienced violence at work, nearly half have been subjected to threats of physical harm, 71 per cent have witnessed violence, and 78 per cent have been verbally abused.

In Saskatoon, two branches were forced to close for several weeks in 2022 because staff no longer felt safe at work. CUPE says staff refused to work in the branches because one staff member was punched in the face.

“Library staff and patrons deserve changes that make them feel safe at the library,” CUPE representative Katherine Norton said in the statement.

“We’re fighting to have more than one library worker at each service point so we can help serve patrons while staying safe,” said Paige Yellowlees, communications coordinator for CUPE 2669.

“It’s disappointing that the employer is refusing to offer fair wages or make this change that would increase the safety and quality of service for both library workers and patrons alike. We deserve better.”

The Saskatoon Public Library says it has filed a reciprocal lockout notice against the union, “as it is impossible to predict how job action may impact the ability to deliver library services safely.”

The Saskatoon library says it “remains committed to the collective bargaining process and looks forward to reaching a final agreement.”

‘Enormous increase’

In the past, workers at Saskatoon’s libraries — which are run by a board independent from the city itself — have expressed concerns that their wages have stagnated while positions in management and administration have ballooned.

Last year, a CTV News investigation found the number of management staff almost tripled between 2015 and 2023. In that time the cost of their salaries grew from about $1.69 million to just under $4.85 million.

At the time, the Saskatoon Public Library’s communications director told CTV News the expansion of management positions was the result of a staffing review that involved a survey of library employees.

"One of the findings was that there was not enough management support for employees and the report recommended a new management support structure. A new organizational structure involving new roles across the entire organization at all levels was implemented in 2018," Communications Director Janna Sampson said in an Oct. 2023 statement.

In 2023, workers who spoke to CTV News on the condition of anonymity said the precipitous growth in management positions has siphoned property tax dollars away from staff and public services.

"Meanwhile, actual library worker positions have been cut, resulting in worse service for Saskatonians,” an SPL employee told CTV News.

“Instead of using the money they’ve been given from property taxes to improve services, they’ve largely given it to themselves.”

-With files from Keenan Sorokan