How I spent my summer and fall during the Vancouver library strike…What did I do on the picket line?


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1) July 26th Strike begins. 2) Day 9 – I got to know my co-workers better such as Roseanne and strike captain Peter deGroot. 3) I learned tai-chi taught by Tim Firth. 4) August 4- I
walked with our union in the Pride parade. 5) I bring my accordion down to the picket line. 6a) Day 15 We share food for our 1st potluck.  6b) Playing Trivial Pursuit with Matt and Rachel

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 7) Knitting hats for the homeless – I take pictures of my co-workers Diana and Tanya. 8) Day 16 We go to City Hall for a rally. 9)  I played music with my
co-worker Ross Bliss 10) Day 20 – I invited author Terry Glavin to speak. 11) Dr. Fred Bass, former City councillor gave words of support. 12) We engage the public – Donald works in the Federal Building, and he thanked me for work I did over a year ago on the information desk directing him to head tax documentation. 12b) I hang with fellow library working dragon boat paddlers Harvey and Connie.

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13) August 24, I invite Stan Persky to read.  14/15) We meet and welcome CUPE 15 members.  16) Aug 21, Day 34 I invite writer Tom Sandborn to come speak. 17) We initiate “Grandeur on Georgia” and wave to cars on Georgia St. 18) We initiate “Flying pickets” and go picket at different library sites spending 1 hr at each branch such as Hastings.

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19) Day 35 – I invite World Poetry to come read.  20) Aug 22 I invite Ellen Woodsworth, former city councillor to give words of support.  21) Globe & Mail reporter Laura Drake writes a story featuring James Gemmil and me. 22) Aug 23 Library workers picket with pizzazz appears in Globe & Mail.  24) Aug 23  I invite Chuck Davis to come speak. 24) We initiate “Grandeur on Georgia” with CUPE 15 Vancouver inside workers at Vancouver Playhouse/Q.E. Theatre.

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25) I decide to wear lots of Hawaiian shirts on the picket line. 26) Aug 24 I invite Stan Persky to come read.  27) Aug 27 I invite Daniel Gawthrop to come read.  28)  We go to City Hall for another rally.  29) Ellen Woodsworth introduces me to other union and community organizers.  30) I introduced city councillor Raymond Louie to my fellow library workers. 30b This picture of me, my accordion, picket captain Alexis Greenwood and city librarian Paul Whitney made it into the Georgia Straight article Boss and union tell different tales.
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31) Aug 30 – I invite Hiromi Goto to come read.  32) Aug 30 I hurt my back lifting a flat of water and have to use a wheelie-walker.  33) Sep 6- I invite poet Rita Wong to come read.  34) Sep 7 I invite Vancouver poet laureate George McWhirter to come read. 35/36) The media comes to film us doing “the wave” with our strike signs.

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37) I have to play accordion sitting down now.  38) Sep 14 CUPE 15's Theatre show comes to Library Square.  39) I take them to CBC studios and find somebody from the newsroom.  40) We are filmed for the evening news. 41) Sep 27  Back to playing accordion for Grandeur on Georgia. 42) Sep 29 – I emcee the inaugural music cabaret for Vancouver District Labour Council, organized by Earle Peach, and funds raised are giving to CUPE 391, by Bill Saunders VDLC president.

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43) Sep 30 – I play accordion for Word on the Strike, a parallel complimentary event to Word on the Street.  44) Author Jean Barman came to say Hi while I played accordion at Word on the Strike. 45) Oct 5 – Author Naomi Klein comes to read, invited by Craig Searle.  46) Oct 9 – Voting Day on the mediated recommendations, We visit with CUPE 15 who will be going back to work. 47) CUPE 391 votes 78% NO and rejects mediator's recommendations.  48) Oct 12 Jinder and I play chess.  49) I help with the information booth with Kristie and Angela.

October 21st, we vote 71% to accept new contract with changes to the mediator's recommendations.
October 24, we are back working at the library.
July 26 to Oct 21st – 87 days of strike action.
The first ever strike in CUPE 391's 77 years of union history.

Read Todd's stories about theLibrary Strike

See Todd's pictures at
Todd Wong's Flickr site

Vancouver library workers back at Libraries today: historic first strike is over.

No more enthusiastic pickets like this anymore….  CUPE 391 Vancouver library workers really raised the bar for creativity on the picket line. See Globe & Mail story: Library workers picket with pizzazz. This photo si from september 21, 2007. day 58. photo by rabidsquirrel

The historic first library strike is now over.  On Friday CUPE 391 voted 71.4% to accept the new changes in latest contract proposal with their employer the Vancouver Public Library.  The Library board ratified the contract on Saturday morning.  And just like that… all the picket signs were finally officially down. 

On Sunday, Branch and Division heads and seniors attended meetings to discuss re-opening the library for Wednesday.  Late Sunday afternoon I met our CUPE 391 President Alex Youngberg, at the Dream Vancouver conference and we talked with some of Vancouver's community activists, leaders and city councillors.

I went to work at the Oakridge Branch Library today.  This is where I usually have a regular Monday 1-9pm shift.  Tomorrow I will work at Champlain Heights Branch.

Working with my co-workers, many whom I had last seen on the picket line at Library Square, or at the voting meeting on Friday… felt kind of comfortably strange.  “I'm so used to seeing everybody all bundled up,” I said referring to the cold wet weather that had marked the last month of the strike. 

The branch was closed to the public as we unpacked boxes of books, checked them into the computer system, revised them in order and shelved them in their places.  The feeling was generally jovial, as we worked fast and efficiently, taking pride in jobs well done and happy to be finding our groove.  I did raise a concern about RSI injury, because our muscles and joints are not accustomed to the book handling actions, after 3 months of not working.  We switched jobs every now and then, chatted about our strike experiences… the good the bad, the surprising.  It was fun to be back with my co-workers again.

There's going to be some time for reflection about our time on the strike.  There have been friendships and bonds created that will last a long time.  We have seen people step up, that we didn't expect.  We have thanked our committees and leaders, and extended our warm support to them.  But it's not over yet… there are plans to document our historic strike action, and a cook book on how to hold a strike CUPE 391 style!  With puppet shows, chili recipes, knitting for solidarity, author readings, bicycle pickets, bbqs and all the creative and unique things that our members did to engage the public and the media with our message, and to keep our spirits up and build solidarity on the picket line.

CUPE 391 president Alexandra Youngberg with job action committee leader D'Arcy Stainton, a former union president. August 16th, Day 22 on strike.  Who knew there would be 87 days on the picket line? – photo Todd Wong

Today, Monday morning, Alex Youngberg, CUPE 381 President was interviewed on CBC Radio's Early Edition by Rick Cluff.

Well done Alex!.

Listen to the full Rick Cluff – Alexandra Youngberg interview on CBC Radio Early Edition

AUDIO: CUPE 391’s Alex Youngberg reflects on her union local's first strike (Runs 4:50)

For information about the library hours, date due, no fines etc.
see www.vpl.ca

All branches will reopen on Wednesday, October 24 according to their
normal operating hours.

Full services, including complete electronic services,
may not be immediately available.

We are currently preparing the libraries to serve you and
look forward to restoring services in the coming week.

No late fees will be charged for the time the library was
closed or during the first week or reopening.

HOLDS
Items that were on hold when the labour disruption started
will be held for pick up for an additional week.
There will be no charge for holds that expired after July 25.

LOAN PERIOD EXTENSIONS
Loan periods will be extended for all materials checked out during the first week of reopening.

Items normally on loan for 21 days will be extended to 28 days.

Items normally on loan for 7 days will be extended to 14 days.

Vancouver Library Workers vote 71% to go back to work:
state that important advances toward pay equity have been achieved

Craig Searle, author Naomi Klein and Todd Wong – Klein visited the Library Square picket line to give words of support to the Vancouver library workers on Oct 5th.

Vancouver library workers voted today (Friday) to accept new changes to a contract proposal that included most of the Brian Foley mediator recommendations.  The vote was 71.4% in favour of the new contract.

(update) The Vancouver Public Library board ratified the agreement today, on Saturday morning.

The union meeting started at 10:30 am on Friday, and with questions went 15 minutes past the 12 noon starting time that had been designated for voting to start.  Voting went on until 6pm.

After the voting, some members went out to picket sites at Brittania Branch and Library Square.  Votes were taken back to CUPE 391 headquarters where the announcement was to have happened at 7pm.

I attended the meeting, and picket duty at Brittania Branch library.

It was an emotionally charged meeting where the CUPE 391 Bargaining committee expressed their reasons for urging the membership to accept these proposals.  While the agreement did not give the Vancouver library workers two of the main issues they fought hard for such as pay equity and part-time/auxilliary benefits, the bargaining committee was able to get a “Classification Committee” added.  While this is not the Pay Equity Committee that CUPE 391 was fighting for, it will basically provide a mechanism for the library workers to compare library job classifications with other comparable job classifications in other City of Vancouver unions.

Burnaby library workers did achieve the “job review committee” that Vancouver library workers wanted, but were denied by Vancouver Library Management.

Donn Stanley CUPE National assistant regional director and Jim Gorman CUPE National representative were also in attendance.  Stanley praised the CUPE 391 bargaining committee, stating that “You have to be proud of your bargaining committee.  They did and incredible job.” 

A heart-felt standing ovation by Vancouver library workers was then given to their union bargaining committee.  Donn Stanley Long stated how impressed he was by the creativity, dedication and solidarity of the Vancouver library workers. 

CUPE 391 President Alex Youngberg had just returned from a CUPE National conference in Toronto and told the membership that “Everybody knew about CUPE 391.  I am so proud of you all.”

“You all raised the bar for job action with your activities. 
Never before in labour history did strike action see knitters, puppet
shows, author readings, bicycle pickets…. and everything else you
did, like Word on the Strike.  Libraries and unions everywhere are
watching us.”

Time and time again, library workers stated how proud they were of their union brothers and sisters. At the same time, other library workers said they were bitterly disappointed at the library management's refusal to address pay equity, as well as part-time/auxiliary issues.

Many workers vowed a stronger commitment to the new friendships they had made while on the picket line, and to union issues. 

The Vancouver Public Library Board meets Saturday morning to ratify the agreement in order to make it official.

The Bargaining committee wrote this on the CUPE 391 website:

Onward.

Here is the CUPE 391 announcement that was released to the media
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2007/19/c6462.html

Vancouver library workers CUPE 391 vote 78.1% to reject mediator Brian Foley's recommendations, calling it “Foley's Folly”

Television camera crews showed up early at Library Square on Tuesday, October 9th, in preparation of the the 7pm announcement for the vote by Vancouver library workers.  By late afternoon, Global TV and CBC TV had trucks parked on the plaza with lights set up for their reporters.

Starting at 9:30am, members of the 800 strong CUPE 391 began voting to reject or accept the recommendations to end the first strike in the Vancouver library workers' union in their 77 year history.  I arrived shortly after 3pm to register my vote.  There were two tents set up for voting by secret ballot.  In each tent there were two registrars who checked my name, and a scrutineer whom I also knew.

Today is cold and damp.  It is the first day that propane heaters have been brought to the picket line.

At 4pm there was a crew talk.  D'arcy Stainton gave us the skinny on the day's events.  He reminded people to vote, and that the media black out was lifted the bargaining committee was not speaking.  But if people wanted to speak to the media they were free to do so.  Stainton than made comment to the morning's Metro News which featured his friendly face on a large cover photo, with a story about the striking unions inside on page 2.  Bonus story was about the Knitters for Solidarity… (aka Knit-Picketeers) who have knitted 500+ hats and other articles to donate to those in need.

Ricky examines the front page of the Metro featuring picket captain D'Arrcy Stainton.  D'Arcy has been a wonderful leader on the strike action committee – photo Todd Wong.

At 5pm, Matt and I stopped by the CUPE 15 picket line in front of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre.  They were glad to see us, as we have often dropped by to give support, and also coordinated some joint “waves to the traffic” on Georgia Street.  The Playhouse CUPE 15 members come over to our Library Square picket line for coffee and also dropped in on our Friday BBQ's.  The mutual feeling was of support for each group.  We were glad that CUPE 15 felt good enough about Foley's recommendations to vote yes and accept them.  They felt disappointed for us, that the mediator's recommendations didn't come anywhere near to what we felt we could accept.  We both agreed that our part-time auxilliary workers are left without any job security.

CUPE
15 and CUPE 391 workers demonstrate solidarity with a theatrical flair.
l-r Debra, ??, Kim, Alan, Matt and Hank – photo Todd Wong

Back at Library Square, I pulled my accordion out shortly after the 5:30pm closing of the voting polls.  Battle Hymn of the Republic also known as Solidarity Forever was the second song I played.  The first was Scotland the Brave, at the request of bargaining committee chair Ed Dickson.  Ed is a Scots descendant and his wife is Scottish.  With library/gypsy jazz guitarist Ross Bliss, we had earlier talked about the Scottish contributions to the development of Canada and the world.  Ed just liked the sound of Scotland the Brave… he wanted something stirring, and asked if I also had any Sousa marches.  I played a Sousa March, as well as When the Caissons Go Rolling Along, When the Saints Go Marching In and some other lively songs.

Soon the camera crews came over to ask Ed some questions, but he deflected them, saying he would make statements later when the vote was announced.  Television cameras came over to me and my accordion, as I was repeatedly asked to play a few rousing bars of “Solidarity Forever.”

Here's a flickr photo of me taken when I was performing at Word on the Strike by mordechai dangerfield
 
“Why am I playing music on the picket line?” I was asked by a reporter for CBC Radio International.

“In support of all the arts and cultural groups who are shut out of the library, because they cannot host their presentations here, they cannot access music here or archival documents… or whatever they need,” I replied.

“I am a 30+ library employee, so yes… I work as a library worker.  I play music to help lift the spirits of my fellow picketers, help create a special musical ambiance… and to help engage the public.  When you play beautiful music, people are sometimes more likely to ask you why you are picketing.

Alex Youngberg (CUPE 391 President) and Ed Dickson (CUPE 391 Bargaining Committee Chair) face the media as they prepare to announce the results of the Vancouver library workers vote to reject mediator Brian Foley's recommendations – photo Todd Wong

At 7pm, Ed Dickson, chair of the CUPE 391 bargaining committee made the announcement that CUPE 391 Vancouver library workers voted 78.1% to reject the recommendations by mediator Brian Foley.  

“Unfortunately, Mr. Foley's recommendations don't meet the needs of our memberships and the rejection is a very strong message that we need to go back to the library and do some more work,” said Dickson.  “Our bargaining committee is prepared to meet with the City Librarian Mr. Paul Whitney, and his bargaining committee.  To open the library, we have at strategy and a plan that we think will work   But we need to sit down with Mr. Whitney and his committee and get this library open.”

“They say you shouldn't go out
on a principle but it appears that we have,” CUPE 391 President Alex Youngberg said. “And the principle is an end
to discrimination.  This is a female dominated workforce, and we are
not compared with male dominated workforces. We do not get equal pay
for work of equal value.  This has been our fight all along and this
has been our principle.”

Ed Dickson said “We believe that Mr. Foley's recommendations could be the basis for a settlement, but clearly more work is required.  Our members have spoken, we had a very large turnout at the polls today.  They've given us a very clear direction.  They've give us the tools we think we need to go back and speak to the city librarian and his committee and settle this dispute… but clearly Mr. Foley's recommendations were not good enough, clearly he misinterpreted the issues that we presented to him.

“Pay equity is our number one issue. That's why we went on strike for and why we remain on strike.  The benefits improvements that he suggested to be enough to settle on don't even meet what the other eleven locals have settled for without a strike.  And finally there's nothing for our part-time auxillary workers who make up 49% of our work force.  We absolutely have to get improvements for these workers.

Alex than added “We're not asking for more money, we're just asking for more equitable distribution.  When the top members of our workforce are offered more money yet the bottom members are not offered anymore and there is a new classification introduced with even less money then there is a question that begs to be answered.  We are asking that question and there needs to be a different result.

“If CUPE 15 settles and goes back to work,” said Ed “that will focus more attention
on the city to say What the hell is the matter when you've got all
these other cities in the region that settle without a strike   We're
not asking for anything that none of other libraries got, we're asking
for items that have been regionally already accepted .  What the hell
is the matter with the city of Vancouver?  They can't settle with this
group of workers, they're starting to settle with some of their other
worker? What the hell is the matter with the city of Vancouver?”

It is interesting that the library workers – often seen as docile public servants or as information nerds, were the most vocal and strong in rejecting the mediation recommendations.  While CUPE 15 Vancouver City inside workers voted 73% to accept the recommendations for their specific issues.  But while CUPE 1004 Vancouver City outside workers voted 58% to accept the mediated recommendations, they require a 2/3 majority vote – so essentially CUPE 1004 Vancouver City outside workers are still on strike.  1004 pickets at City Hall and other locations, could also effectively keep CUPE 15 workers off the job on the outside of picket lines.

See my pictures on flickr.

Rejection vote, Oct 9th, Media cameras…