On Aug. 26, Halifax Public Libraries workers went on strike, forcing a temporary closure of all library locations.
Workers moved to strike for the first time in library history after failed conciliation meetings between Halifax Public Libraries and Local 14 of the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees (NSUPE).
NSUPE Local 14 represents 340 unionized library employees, including librarians and library assistants, along with administrative, technical and maintenance staff. 181 of the employees employees are full-time and 159 are part-time. All of the employees have been working without a contract since their collective agreement expired in April 2023. Issues at stake include parental leave top-ups, sick leave, wages and improved working conditions.
Halifax Public Libraries and NSUPE Local 14 have been bargaining since October 2023, meeting 55 times until the union filed for conciliation in June. Before the first conciliation meeting on July 29, 83 per cent of Local 14 members voted in favour of striking according to NSUPE and Local 14 Vice President Chad Murphy.
With all library services shut down, Murphy stressed the importance of libraries in the community.
“We’re not a traditional library anymore. We’re absorbing all the social shortcomings.”
An issue the union and Halifax Public Libraries are unable to agree on is wage increases.
According to a statement from the library’s website, “Halifax Public Libraries acknowledges NSUPE Local 14’s concerns about rising costs of living and believe our final offer is fair to workers, and aligns with other union agreements representing public employees.”
With Halifax’s living wage estimated to be $28.30 and current hourly wages for union members starting just under $17, library staff work to help vulnerable members of the community while facing rising costs of living themselves.
“Over the last five or six years, we’ve been addressing a lot of community shortcomings with the unhoused and food insecurity, so we’ve been providing snacks and meals,” Murphy said. “We’re a place of refuge for people that are looking to get out of the heat or bad weather or even warm up in the winter. We’re providing assistance looking for housing through partnerships. Essentially, we’re catching everything and we’re not equipped to deal with that properly.”
According to Murphy, one of the sticking points in negotiations is the Strategic Plan. Introduced between 2017 and 2022, it reorganized staffing levels and reclassified staff members. Library assistants, for example, were level six on the pay scale. The Strategic Plan reclassified them as service desk workers at level five.
Chris Rogers is a community navigator for Halifax Public Libraries in the Western District.
“We went through a very difficult restructuring a few years ago that’s led to a lot of cuts in staffing, so [the strike] is not necessarily just about wages and staff funding, it’s also about the number of staff,” he said. “Not to mention quite a few of us are part-time as well.”
Rogers started working at Halifax Public Libraries as a part-time shelver while studying at Dalhousie University.
“Because of the cuts they made, my career path is no longer possible,” he said. “I came in as a student and worked my way up. I would not be able to do that in the situation they have today because I wouldn’t be able to live. I see the people coming in behind me and feel like I owe it to them to be out here standing up [and] making noise.”
NSUPE treasurer and Local 14 Vice President Shelby Whynot expresses the impact the community has had on union members.
“We’ve been really encouraged by the support of our community and the businesses in and around our libraries where we’re picketing, [and] other unions,” she said. “People are really rallying behind us and we really, really do appreciate that support.”
During the strike, community programs are cancelled and all library branches, Borrow by Mail and Home Delivery Service are suspended. Users can still access digital library services and place holds on materials according to the Halifax Public Libraries website.
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