Saskatoon library, union agree on some key issues

The Saskatoon Public Library and the union representing its employees appear to be finding some common ground after months of disagreement, distrust and protests triggered by a major restructuring program.

Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2669 still has concerns about the shift to a “community-led service model,” but internal documents obtained by Postmedia News show agreement on some key issues.

Chief among them is the question of probationary periods for about 120 library employees who had to re-apply for positions under the new structure, which is set to come into force in mid-July.

After both sides failed to reach a deal on the issue last year, library management insisted they had to follow the collective agreement’s probation requirements.

Last month, however, both sides signed a memorandum of agreement waiving the requirement that employees spend months on probation after moving to a new position.

Both sides also signed a separate agreement reducing the qualifications needed for one new position, to allow current library employees without all of the requisite experience to “underfill” those jobs.

CUPE Local 2669 has previously raised concerns about employees taking pay cuts as a result of the restructuring. The library announced this week that it will keep paying those workers their usual wages until July 2021.

CUPE Local 2669 president Pamela Ryder said she is “cautiously optimistic” about the new agreements. But the union is worried about six employees who, as a result of the restructuring, are expected to take “large” pay cuts as they move to part-time positions from full-time jobs, she said.