'Dangerous and unsafe workplaces': Saskatoon Public Library workers vote for job action

Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) staff have overwhelmingly voted in favour of job action over wages and concerns about violent incidents at work.

Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) staff have overwhelmingly voted in favour of job action over wages and concerns about violent incidents at work.

According to a spokesperson for CUPE 2669, which represents about 270 workers at Saskatoon city libraries, 95 per cent of participating members voted in favour of job action “up to and including a full withdrawal of services.”

The union, which has been without a contract since June 2023, says talks broke down after months of bargaining over a dispute over wage increases and “the employer’s refusal to address serious safety concerns in the workplace.”

Half of Saskatchewan municipal library workers surveyed in 2022 reported they experienced violence on the job. In April, four city libraries were forced to cut their hours of operation after an employee and security guard were allegedly assaulted at the branch in Confederation.

In 2022, CUPE says one Saskatoon library worker was punched in the face, and someone attempted to abduct an employee as she walked to her car after closing up shop.

“Library workers serve their communities with pride. But for too long, they’ve been working in dangerous and unsafe workplaces,” CUPE 2669 president Jeff Bergen said in a news release on Tuesday.

“The employer is aware of these challenges and the escalation of violence on the job. It’s frustrating to keep workers and the public safe. Members have had enough, and this vote sends a clear message to the employer — violence is not part of the job.”