Library Worker Update

CUPE 391 and employer meet to make adjustments to Foley's recommendations

[October 15, 2007 05:04 PM] CUPE

Representatives of CUPE 391 met with representatives of the Vancouver Public Library and Metro Vancouver Labour Relations Bureau today to discuss adjustments to mediator Brian Foley's recommendations, which were rejected by 78.1 per cent of the membership last Tuesday.

While a tentative agreement has not yet been reached, further discussions are expected to take place between the parties.

Vancouver's 800 library workers have been on strike since July 26, 2007.

Mediator Foley's recommendations and previously agreed to items.

Contact:

Alexandra Youngberg, CUPE 391 President, 604-908-6095
Ed Dickson, CUPE 391 bargaining chair, 604-322-4879
Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, 778-229-0258

Man walk postponed, some of the support we’ve been getting, and more

Janis wrote this in the late afternoon:

Man walk postponed
The man walk has been postponed until further notice. A lot of us have been excited about this one–please watch the blog for a new date and time, and keep practicing those Windsor knot-tying skills! (Note that the Kitsilano lunch is still moved to Wednesday this week–it was originally rescheduled to accommodate this special event.)

Pickets at Dunbar tomorrow
We’ll be picketing from 8-4 tomorrow (Tuesday). And see below:

Pickets taken down at JF and Kerrisdale
We are very pleased for our brothers and sisters in CUPE 15 and 1004 who have returned to work. Because Kerrisdale and Joe Fortes are shared facilities, we have taken these pickets down. Our members in both locations have done an amazing job of creating public awareness and building relationships with our colleagues in the community centres, as well as setting up high-functioning picket sites and all-round good places for our members to be during these difficult times. The Job Action coordinators want to thank all these members for their hard work during the strike.

CUPE 391 President and others at CUPE National
Every two years CUPE National holds its convention, and that’s where Alex (our president), Inder (chair of the hardship committee), Randy (one of our job action coordinators), and Aili (member at large) are right now, talking with CUPE members from across Canada. Many other locals have already sent donations and other kinds of support, and we are very happy–and proud–to be members of this powerful organisation.

More Support
We don’t always hear about the donations and messages of support we continue to receive from the public and fellow workers. It is very exciting–and inspiring–to hear that our sisters and brothers in the BC Teachers’ Federation have donated more than $80,000 to help members in 15, 391 and 1004. Thank you, teachers! We’ll report more details as soon as we can.

A reminder that when passers-by ask how they can support us, we can direct them to our website and the online petition. If every one of our supporters forwards the petition to friends and colleagues, we can really get the word out!

D’Arcy has also heard from Ann Seidl, the director of Hollywood Librarian, who called to tell us about her support for our cause. She is going to allow us to screen the film so that we can raise funds, and will even fly up from Wisconsin for interviews. We have booked The Rio (on Broadway) for Saturday November 3rd. Watch this space for more details, and see the Hollywood Librarian website for more information about “the first full-length documentary film to focus on the work and lives of librarians.” (Check out the gorgeous stills from Desk Set!)

And just as D’Arcy was updating Britannia staff today, a man came by and gave us a little speech. He said that he has always loved libraries, but that he “didn’t realise librarians had so much guts” for sticking it out. He urged us to go on fighting for our cause. It’s good to hear!