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…

Mediation recommendations: what's going to happen with the CUPE 391 library workers?

Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, came to speak to Vancouver library workers on Friday, giving her support for pay equity, stating that library workers have been under-valued. photo Beth Lowther

Mediator Brian Foley, published and gave his recommendations to resolve the Vancouver civic strike with City Inside, City Outside, and City Library Workers on Friday morning Oct 5th.  By 4pm, we had a CBC television news reporter asking library workers for comment.  Our library workers refused to give a comment, as did union members working at the union office.

On the Friday afternoon picket line, we hadn't seen the document yet, but the CBC television reporter gave us the 39 page document and said there is a 17.5 percent increase over five years, a $1000 signing bonus, whistle blower protection, and agreement for contracting out. 

Well, the whistle blower protection wasn't one of our issues, nor were the first 32 pages applicable to the library.  Only the final 7 pagers addressed the library issues.  We have the smallest 800 member union.  And it has been typical that library workers have been seen as the most docile, least protesting – yet underpaid, and under-valued city workers.  This is our first strike in our 77 year union history.

Our library workers did not give the CBC reporter any comment about the recommendations, stating that we would wait for our union bargaining committee to discuss it with us at our planned Sunday meeting, and that we picketed for 70+ days already, we were cautiously optimistic and not going to rush things.  I did give general statements that we were disappointed with city management keeping this strike going for so long, especially since city councilor Raymond Louie had called for mediation back on August 1st.  And I one of my statements was included on Friday night's evening news…. as I was holding my accordion.

This has been an unnecessary strike as the library bargaining committee kept refusing to address union issues, and walking away from the bargaining table.  It is unconsciencable that Library management did not make an opening contract proposal until 2 weeks into the strike, 8 months after the contract expired on Dec 16, 2006.

At a meeting on Sunday morning, CUPE 391 bargaining committee recommended to its membership to reject the mediator Brian Foley's recommendations.  General comments were that the recommendations were lopsided in favour of the Library management, and that the mediator did not understand the issue of pay equity. 

In a Vancouver Sun interview published on Saturday, Foley said that he thought it best to address pay equity by “give them the damn money” by giving 40% of the library workers a one pay grade increase, but without any explanation why specific job positions were selected.  It did not make any sense to the 300+ library workers gathered.

The $1000 signing bonus was also laughed off as bribe.  Conditions were that it would be pro-rated according to hours worked per week, from January 1st to July 25th.  But questions came up as to the minimum per week that had to be required, as well as job shares, or for part-time workers.  Signing bonuses for these workers would then be reduced to less than $500 or as low as $200, then take away the tax on that and the $1000 signing bonus is virtually worthless.  The union had asked for a $2500 bonus.

The good thing is that any of the increases were all dated to January 1st for each year.  The Library bargaining committee has each time tried to move raises to later dates in the year.  Foley did not allow that to happen.

Vancouver library workers have said all along, that this strike is not about the money.  It is a given that 17.5% would be the benchmark, as it was accepted by neighboring cities and library workers.  This strike has been about fairness, respect and pay equity.  Not one of these issues was addressed by Brian Foley's mediated recommendations.  Expect Vancouver library workers to reject his recommendations.

See other media sources:

City strike

Deal in doubt

CBC.ca News – 2 Vancouver unions urge rejection