by Robin Booker
The Regina Public Library and its employees have yet to come to an agreement on contract negotiations. The previous collective bargaining agreement expired 22 months ago and library employees have been working without a wage increase ever since.
The library employees are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
CUPE claims the bargaining committee representing the library board is demanding considerable concessions from employees.
“They want the local to accept a wage increase that is significantly lower then what other municipal locals have settled for,” said Guy Marsden, chief negotiator for the union. “They’re offering 5.5 per cent over three years, while Locals 7 and 21 (representing city workers) achieved collective agreements with an overall wage increase of 7 per cent over three years.”
“The library workers have the same expiry date, and traditionally the library workers have received the same wage increase as the municipal workers.,” he said.
Marsden said the employer is pushing for fewer benefits and no guaranteed hours for part-time employees, the eliminations of payouts for unused sick leave, and removing the permanent status of some part-time employees.
“A number of the proposals deal with taking away the permanent status of a significant number of our current members and future members. So that would mean that they wouldn’t have the ability to bid on new positions or vacancies, and they would also have their benefits either significantly eroded or taken away completely,” said Marsden.
Library negotiators declined to comment on the negotiations.
“The Regina Public Library does not discuss employee negotiations or contracts through the media,” said Tony Playter, the library’s manager of marketing and communications.
The library and CUPE have a history of labour disputes. Before coming to the previous collective bargaining agreement, library employees walked off the job after a series of oneday strikes.
“ (A strike is) definitely something that the local has been talking about. We had a general membership meeting on Oct.24 and a motion was passed to give the executive the ability to call a special membership meeting to have a strike vote,” said Marsden.
