Author Stan Persky speaks to library workers because his books are “locked up” during the strike


Stan Persky, spoke to Vancouver city library workers on Friday August 24th.  He told his audience of picketers, lunch time loungers, and visitors to Vancouver that he came to speak at the library because his “books are locked up.”  Stan read from his latest book Autobiography of a Tatoo.

The
BC Book Prize winning author of  The Short Version: An ABC Book, was one of my political activist
role models and College instructors.  I was taking his classes in
Political Science at Capilano College when the Solidarity movement was
happening, and I was a member of the Capilano Courier student newspaper
collective.  He has written many books such as Then We Take Berlin, Son of Socred, Bennet II, and Buddy's.

Stan is no stranger to strike or bargaining action.  He was a member of CUPE while working up north, and he was the original editor of the “Solitarity Times” during the BC Solidarity movement of the 1980's.   He has also author a book about the Polish Solidarity
movement titled “At the Lenin Shipyard” and the “Solidarity Sourcebook“

CUPE 391 president Alex Youngberg is surrounded by media as she speaks to Vancouver library workers.  Alex told us that with recent positive and understanding articles and columns about library worker issues, she feels that the tide is turning.  She cited the recent Globe & Mail article “library workers picket with pizzazz” and Don Cayo's column in the Vancouver Sun.

Daniel Gowthrop will speaks today on Monday, August 27th.
Gawthrop is the author of Affirmation : The AIDS Odyssey of Dr. Peter, Highwire Act : Power, Pragmatism and the Harcourt Legacy, The Rice Queen Diaries and also Vanishing Halo: Saving the
Boreal Forest.  Daniel also works in the CUPE national office.  Hmmm… what a coincidence.

More pictures at: Todd Wong's Flickr site

For more information on the Vancouver Library workers strike:

Check out www.cupe391.ca
and www.fairnessforcivicworkers.ca