Saskatoon Public Library workers vote in favour of new contract [Video]

Workers at the Saskatoon Public Library have voted in favour of a new collective agreement, after an extended rift over wages and safety concerns, and several days of strike action.

CUPE 2669, the union representing 270 city library workers, said in a news release on Tuesday that its members voted 80 per cent in favour of the new agreement, “which includes new provisions to increase wages and make libraries safer.”

“This new agreement is a step in the right direction to make libraries safe and welcoming environments for staff and members of the public,” said Paige Yellowlees, communications coordinator for CUPE 2669.

A 2022 CUPE survey of library workers, primarily in Saskatoon and Regina, found that half of them had experienced violence while on the job.

One point of contention in negotiations between the union and the library managers was the issue of staff working alone at service points, especially …