Local 4948 exchanged proposals with management on Jan. 10. We have 10 other dates confirmed for our bargaining: Jan. 19, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31, Feb 1 and 3.
When we met to exchange proposals, the Chief Negotiator for library management, Dan Keon, indicated very clearly that the Library Board wishes to be aligned with the City on all non-monetary and monetary issues. Three members of Mayor Ford’s Executive Committee sit on the Library Board, including Councillors Ainslie, Palacio, and Robinson. There are others on the Library Board, including Mike Foderick and Stephen Dulmage, who have indicated their support for a cost-cutting agenda for the Toronto Public Library that targets cuts to staff first and foremost.
The Mayor has given a mandate to the City’s negotiating committee to get concessions on wages, benefits and working conditions from CUPE Locals 416 and 79. On Jan.12 the City requested a “no-board” on Local 416, which will trigger a countdown to a possible lockout and disruption of services as early as February -- or the City could impose new terms and conditions of employment on 416 members.
On Jan. 10, library management indicated that the library board would be seeking the same concessions as the City on jobs, sick time, leaves, extended health and dental benefits and more as well as library specific concessions on hours of work, leaves, paid holidays, compensation and more. Management wants more discussions about how to achieve “efficiencies and improvements in library operations”. We know that “efficiencies” is code for more cuts to staff and loss of job opportunities.
Sweeping concessions would affect everyone
There is no hiding from the dire consequences of the amendments to your Collective Agreement tabled by management. Here are just some of the concessions they propose, and some of the stark implications for members:
Below is a list of some of the concessions that were tabled by the employer:
1. Jobs: Management wants to discuss all job security language in the collective agreement, in order to achieve greater “flexibility”. This means that management will be coming after our job security language and the provision that prohibits contracting out services if it will result in layoffs or loss of earnings. To date, the TPL Board has voted to cut 5.9 per cent, which represents a cut of 107 FTEs (full-time equivalents). If the City Budget Committee gets its way next week, the Board will be cutting 10 per cent and 161 FTEs. This on top of 198 FTEs cut since amalgamation!
Management also wants to discuss the increased use of volunteers. The Union supports the engagement of volunteers to complement the work of our members but not to replace our members work or reduce the number of jobs in our communities.
2. Cuts to benefits. Management wants to discuss “cost-savings” in extended health and dental benefits. The City proposes to cut benefits by 10 per cent.
3. Cuts to compensation including: Overtime, call-back pay, standby, Sunday work, evening & Saturday premiums. Here again, management wants to achieve “cost savings”. Management wants the ability to compel members to work on Sundays. Currently Sundays are voluntary.
4. Hours of work. Management is attacking Article 19 “Hours of Work” and looking to roll back all of the improvements that we have negotiated since amalgamation, including the elimination of variable work hours, the 63/7 option and TRL flex time.
At the same time, management wants to restrict page schedules and the right of pages to reschedule hours due to illness.
5. Management has tabled concessions on the collective agreement rights that provide time for our members to deal with family issues. 75 per cent of Local 4948 members are women. Many of our members struggle to maintain work/life balance. These provisions of our collective agreement assist our members with managing work schedules and responding to family concerns
We have set more dates for bargaining, but given these demands for concessions and what the City has done to Local 416 at the table, we are not optimistic that the TPL will bargain seriously. We next meet with the employer on Jan. 19.
Act now to safeguard your future
Your Local 4948 Strike Committee and Membership Mobilization teams are working hard to get information to the membership. The committee will be visiting the branches to answer questions and to share information.
Picket captains are being trained. If you haven’t signed up to be a picket captain and are willing, please let the strike committee know asap.
Every member should complete the picket duty sign-up form to register for picket duty. You can fax the form to the strike committee’s attention at 416-440-7984. If you need copies of the form, please contact your steward or the strike committee.
If you have questions about strike pay and benefits, please view the FAQ on the blog at http://www.libraryworkersunion.blogspot.com/.
If you have further questions, please contact the Strike Committee at strike@local4948.org
In Solidarity,
Maureen O’Reilly
President
On behalf of your TPLWU Local 4948 Bargaining Committee:
Brendan Haley, Viveca Gretton, Carmela DeGiorgio, Mary Bissell, Samee-Lee Grossman,
Brian Raymer and Karen Smith
On behalf of your TPLWU Local 4948 Executive Mobilization Team:
Steven Burdick, Nahid Rahnavard, Philip Singer and Fitzgerald Steele
