Halifax library wages ‘miles behind’ says employee [Video]

About three dozen striking workers gathered outside the Halifax Central Library Wednesday, chanting and waving signs to demand better wages.

More than 300 Halifax Public Libraries employees from 14 branches across the city walked off the job Monday after conciliation talks between their employer and their union broke off over the weekend.

Library service adviser Dominique Nielsen was among the crowd at Halifax Central Library, a sprawling glass building in the heart of the city’s downtown area. She is also a secretary with the local branch of the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees, which represents the workers.

“We take a lot of direction from our members and our members are telling us that they’re struggling,” Nielsen said in an interview.

“Some of our members are telling us they have to choose between paying rent and paying for groceries and medication, and that’s not a choice anyone should have to make.”

The employees’ most recent collective agreement expired in April 2023, and it says librarians make between …