SASKATOON — The city’s library workers’ union and their employer are set to form an Occupational Health and Safety Committee to address improving the protection of their employees, especially when working alone.
Saskatoon’s library workers are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees 2669, where they recently agreed to vote for a tentative agreement with their employer. The deal was reached on Nov. 28, and the members voted on Dec. 4 to 6.
Eighty per cent of CUPE 2669 members voted in favour of the tentative agreement, which was focused on improving health safety measures and wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living. The opinion of the 20 per cent is difficult to tell at this point.
“We were prepared to fight for wage increases and health and safety provisions to keep us safe at work. This work agreement is a step in the right direction to make libraries safe and welcoming environments for staff and members of the public,” said CUPE 2669 Communications Coordinator Paige Yellowlees.
Circulation associates will receive significant wage increases, putting them closer to the compensation rates received by those at the Regional Public Library, and improved sick leave benefits and protection when working alone were also part of the agreement.
The wage increases are retroactive to July 1, 2023, while the three other issues raised during the negotiations will be implemented 90 days after the signing of the CBA. CUPE 2669 represents 270 workers in Saskatoon’s nine public libraries.
CUPE Communications Representative Katherine Norton said the deal was reached after almost two years of negotiations, with talks beginning in January 2023 before their Collective Bargaining Agreement expired on June 30, 2023.
“The intention is to develop a joint sub-committee comprised of members of the joint OH&S committees. They will review best practices in Canada and make recommendations to negotiate these practices during this [CBA] term,” Norton told Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
“Members felt that compensation could have been higher and that the Health and Safety measures could have gone further, but they were pleased to see progress in the right direction and are willing to fight for more in the next round of bargaining.”
CUPE Saskatchewan, in a separate email last month, said there was an increase in violent incidents in the nine locations of Saskatoon’s public libraries where several staff received verbal and physical abuse, attempted sexual assault and attempted abduction.
According to Norton, the Francis Morrison Central Library downtown and the Dr. Freda Ahenakew Library usually have the most incidents of harassment and threats. However, the other seven locations also have similar incidents.
