Victoria PL Closed in Conflict
Five-month labor battle, revenue loss, lead to lockout
By Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 3/15/2008
The five-month labor dispute between Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 410 and the nine-branch Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL), BC, escalated to the point where management has chosen a forceful countermeasure, announcing a lockout that took effect on Sunday, February 17.
Actions taken by staffers since the strike began have included rotating strikes totaling ten days, lunch hour closings, and the unauthorized waiving of fines and fees for library patrons by the union. “The strike activities...are having a severe fiscal impact, and the library is losing important streams of revenue, while employees are continuing to be paid,” said GVPL board chair Christopher Graham.
According to the Province, programs have been canceled, computer terminals shut down, and the library has lost $50,000 CDN a month because union members have refused to collect fines and fees for more than two months. In January, the Labour Relations Board deemed their refusal unauthorized.
The library and the union have disputed each other's willingness to negotiate and remain at odds on the underlying issue of pay equity.
