KELOWNA—After more than six months of negotiations, library workers in the Okanagan have served notice of their intention to strike and plan to begin withdrawing services this week.

CUPE 1123 has given 72 hour strike notice and will be in a legal strike position at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, 2012, unless a deal is reached before then.

VANCOUVER—CUPE BC and CUPE members from locals 15, 389, 391 and 1004 partnered together this past Sunday (Sept. 25) to celebrate reading and help advocate literacy at the 2011 “Word on the Street” event. 

The festival held downtown at Vancouver Public Library’s main branch, Library Square, and attracts over 40,000 community members.

GRAND FORKS—CUPE library workers and the Grand Forks Public Library have ratified a new three-year collective agreement after only one day of negotiations .

The seven members of CUPE Local 2254 at the library signed a new agreement with wage increases of 2.5 per cent in each of the three years ending June 30, 2014.

PUBLIC PRIDE—CUPE BC secretary-treasurer Mark Hancock (centre) poses with Kootenay District Council members and regional staff in front of the recently completed—and publicly-operated—Creston Recreation Centre.

CRESTON—CUPE members in the Kootenays who work in the municipal, K-12 and library sectors were the focus of a productive all-presidents meeting here on September 24.

Continuing a proud tradition in the province’s southeastern corner, B.C.

SECHELT – CUPE 391 members from Sechelt Public Library have ratified their first collective agreement and the Library Board also ratified the agreement on Sunday.

“The tone at the bargaining table was co-operative and respectful,” says Lolly Mackenzie, member of the bargaining committee.

CRESTON— The 13 members of CUPE 4959 who work at Creston Public Library look forward to serving the public in a healthy working environment, thanks to a first collective agreement that includes wage increases, job security provisions and a new RRSP benefit.

“This is a solid new agreement that really recognizes the concerns that our members and their local brought to the bargaining table,” said CUPE National representative Lee-Anne Halifax.

“All these library members really want is respect in their workplace, and this contract gives them that.”

The new agreement, whic

CRESTON – Talks are off to a shaky start for a first contract at the Creston & District Public Library. After meeting with the employer for the first time this week, CUPE National Representative Lee-Anne Halifax said the two sides appear to be “miles apart.”

Halifax said the talks for a first contract were held Monday and Tuesday. The Library Association has hired the same “labour consultant” who oversaw the three-month lockout of library workers in Grand Forks.

ABBOTSFORD — Members of CUPE 1698 ratified a three-year collective agreement with the Fraser Valley Regional Library on Sunday, December 6.

The contract includes 3 per cent in each of three contract years, with the first increase retroactive to January 1, 2009. Significant improvements include an increase in shift premium for people working after 5PM, introduction of a First Aid premium, and increased flexibility around vacation scheduling.

VANCOUVER—The message at last night’s Vancouver Public Library (VPL) board meeting was loud and clear: members of the public love their libraries and don’t want to see their cherished services reduced or eliminated to meet the City of Vancouver’s budget shortfalls.

“I was extremely proud of our communities, of how they rose up to defend public libraries,” said CUPE 391 president Alex Youngberg.

VANCOUVER—The weather was miserable, and the event was up against Writer’s Festival readings throughout the city, but that didn’t stop more than 100 people from showing up at the Vancouver Public Library’s Central branch for Thursday night’s CUPE 391 writers event,