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VICTORIA—CUPE 410, which represents Greater Victoria Public Library workers, went on strike this morning, pulling all 250 of its members off the job until 2 p.m. to protest employer inaction on key issues such as pay equity and treatment of auxiliary workers.

The walkout is the first in a series of escalating job actions the union is planning to take in an effort to achieve a fair contract, says CUPE 410 President Ed Seedhouse.

As I’ve said before, we are willing to go back to the table any time the employer advises us they have a mandate to discuss our issues,” says Seedhouse.

But so far they have not moved off their position and have no mandate from the city’s politicians to address pay equity and auxiliary workers.”

Seedhouse added that this is the first time that Victoria library workers have shut down all the city’s branches in order to address their workplace concerns.

The job action comes in the wake of yesterday’s decision by the Labour Relations Board to dismiss the employer’s application to declare a CUPE 410 strike invalid. The LRB ruling noted that the Local had provided the employer with its wage proposal, but the employer chose not to provide its wage proposal to the Union.

Following the library workers’ return to work this afternoon, Seedhouse added, the union’s strike committee will meet again on Monday to plan further job action.

CUPE 410 represents 250 library workers in the GVPL system at branches in Victoria, Saanich, Central Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin and View Royal.
     

Contact: Ed Seedhouse, CUPE 410 president: (250) 361-9567
    Dan Gawthrop, CUPE Communications (604) 999-6132


For more information on CUPE 410’s campaign for pay equity, visit www.overduepromise.ca.