On March 10 almost 80% of Library Division members who voted said “yes” to becoming a new Toronto Public Library Workers local. Since then, we have had a preliminary discussion with CUPE’s Acting Ontario Regional Director, Brian Atkinson, and sent two letters to CUPE National President Paul Moist. In these letters we have urged the National President and the National Executive Board (NEB) to act quickly to grant us a new CUPE local union charter.
Other issues contained in our letters to President Moist include the need to immediately start library collective bargaining, the need for library workers to be able to access our own union dues, and our willingness to have CUPE National mediate and if necessary decide on the pro-rated division of funds and properties of Local 416 as set out in the CUPE Constitution.
For our part, we are ready now to begin our new Toronto Public Library Workers local, and to take our place as library workers in CUPE and in the broader labour movement as a whole. Our members have spoken, and we intend to speak for ourselves and fight for library workers’ rights as we always have, before, during and now after our membership in Local 416. We will continue to respect, support and work with all Toronto CUPE municipal workers because that is the way we will get the best results for all our members.
Rob Rolfe
Library Division Chair
