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.