BURNABY, B.C. Several hundred library workers voted yesterday to reject a final offer from the Fraser Valley Regional Library Board.
Of 337 eligible voters, 262 of the 268 votes cast rejected the offer. Six accepted it. There were no spoiled ballots.
This sends a strong message to our employer that the offer is unacceptable, CUPE Local 1698 president Marina Kristjanson said. They are calling for major concessions and the vote demonstrates that we will not agree to them.
The employees, spread throughout the valley, are mostly women committed to helping library users get access to information. They are not a militant group and have made only modest proposals throughout negotiations.
We really want to get back to the bargaining table, Kristjanson said. We are hopeful that such a strong vote will bring the board back to the table with a more reasonable offer.
The Fraser Valley Regional Library is the largest library system in British Columbia. It serves communities from Delta to Boston Bar (excluding Surrey) and Port Coquitlam to Agassiz.
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Contact:
Marina Kristjanson, CUPE Local 1698, (604) 534-8176.