The head of a union representing more than 2,000 library workers is accusing city hall of interfering with labour negotiations and putting the city on the brink of a library strike.
The Toronto Public Library Board, which is made up of eight members of the public and four city councillors, is responsible for negotiating a new contract with CUPE Local 4948.
CUPE Local 4948 President Maureen O'Reilly, however, says that it is her belief that city hall has asked the board to demand major concessions from her union without any sense of the impact those concessions will have on library workers.
“A couple of impediments to getting a collective agreement have come directly from city hall and city hall is not responsible for the administration of the library service; it is the Toronto Public Library Board,” O'Reilly said at a rally in Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday. “City hall needs to become a willing partner and support their bargaining team.”
CUPE Local 4948 and the Toronto Public Library Board have been negotiating since February but little progress has been made to date.
Now with the union in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, O'Reilly said it is more important than ever that the board show a willingness to commit to meaningful negotiations.
“We still think there is enough time to get to a negotiated agreement but we certainly need the board to serve as a strong partner in getting us there,” she said. “We don’t know why the city is taking such a hard-line approach to this round of negotiations.”
The main issues of contention in negotiations between CUPE Local 4948 and the Toronto Public Library Board is the precarious nature of employment for many part-time workers, O'Reilly said.
In addition the union is concerned about recent cuts that have resulted in more than 100 layoffs since 2011.
“Mayor Tory has just been speaking in generalities. He is just saying the same words that he said in the other rounds of negotiations (with outside and inside workers). He is just not aware what some of his concessions mean to the library workers,” O'Reilly said.
