There is something fishy at the GVPL. The library workers say they were promised pay equity comparable to the City of Victoria workers in their last negotiation, and this has not happened. That should be pretty easy to check. Anything in writing? Anyone take notes during the negotiations?
The greater Victoria area communities appoint members to the Library Board. The Library Board locked out the GVPL staff last Sunday. On CBC Radio Victoria the Board Chairman said the Library Board had absolutely no control over, nor input into the current (non) negotiations. He stated the Board's mandate was to provide library service to the GVPL community, and that since the library workers were withholding some services, the Board had to lock out the library workers. I don't understand the Board's reasoning.
Negotiations between the GVPL and the union are handled by an association appointed by I don't know who. My understanding is that the negotiating folks aren't talking to the union. If the Board can't direct their negotiators, who can?
I further understand that the union has asked the association to submit the issue to binding arbitration. The association has refused to do this. Why? Either a promise was made or it wasn't. Let's find out.
And in the meantime all library services have been withdrawn by locking out the GVPL staff. So now we don't have any library services. Seems we're trying to kill the GVPL to save it.
What is going on? I have been a negotiator for the Ontario and Federal Governments, and negotiated for and against many, many unions in Canada and the United States. This isn't rocket science. Surely we can find a way out of this morass.
Let's go back to where we were before the lockout, restore service, knock whatever heads together that need knocking, and if we can't reach a solution in a very short time, let's get to binding arbitration.
Let us know what you think. Give us your opinion.
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4 comments:
To me is an issue of concern that one of the reasons cited for the lock out is the loss of revenue experienced by the administration because the workers stopped collecting fines...
As far as I can see, the rationale behind collecting fines is to dissuade clients to take too long to return that book or CD, and allow the material to circulate more fluidly amongst the users.
But apparently the Library Board looks at fines as a desirable form of revenue for a public service.
Of course even though we cannot borrow books or even enter the installations, we are still paying with our taxes the wages of the executives who manage the empty buildings.
Alejandro Wainer
That Victoria Libraries have not been fully functioning in these past weeks and months is a tragedy for the city. I think especially of people for whom using libraries is a way of life and the only way to read books and journals. Once again, this is an instance of neglect of people at the lower end of the socio/economic scale (others go off an buy books presumably -- but civic government MUST serve the less privileged as well as it serves the well-heeled). If binding arbitration will restore readily accessible libraries with extensive hours of opening, let's have it!
There is a lack of leadership on the GVPL board. The "it's not my job" attitude is pathetic. Imagine if the employees had that attitude - need more paper in the photocopier? Sorry, that's not my job... Or, can't figure out how to use the microfiche reader-printer? Too bad - that's not my job.
The GVPL board has no idea how lucky they are to have such dedicated employees.
Karen
The fact that is most distressing to me is that the negotiations are done by a third party with the consequence that the pols can say thyat "their hands are tied"....even more disturbing is the idea that the negotiators in the thied party are benefitting by prolonging the "negotiations"...rehaps they are paid on a per diem basis and therefore have a vested interest in prolonging things......I hope that I am wrong. Roger Sandford
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