CUPE Saskatchewan is sounding the alarm about the elimination of adult programming positions in the Estevan and Weyburn locations of the Southeast Regional Library. Scott Moe is past due on the need to fix the broken regional library funding system.
The recent job losses impact two members of CUPE 2174, representing library workers in the Southeast Region Library system. These adult programmer positions support job seekers, digital literacy, and other forms of skill development.
“Regional libraries are the heartbeat of communities across Saskatchewan. These cuts to the adult programmer positions will reduce access to valuable services people in Weyburn and Estevan rely on,” said Kent Peterson, President of CUPE Saskatchewan. “We are calling on the provincial government to provide emergency funding so the Southeast Regional Library can reinstate the positions and the services they provide.”
CUPE Saskatchewan is also calling on the provincial government to overhaul their regional library funding system to ensure libraries are receiving sufficient and sustainable funding moving forward. These cuts are the latest in a series of program cuts in libraries across the province resulting from underfunding of regional library services. Both Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipal Association (SUMA) members have passed resolutions highlighting the inadequacy of current funding for regional libraries.
“These latest library cuts are just a symptom of a bigger problem. The antiquated regional library funding system isn’t working for libraries, workers, municipalities, or the public. The provincial government needs to overhaul this broken system before communities lose more services they rely on,” added Peterson.
