Well it happened!
- Photo by Fred Lum from the Globe & Mail
As of Sunday March 18th, more than 2300 Toronto library workers are now on strike. Over 98 library branches are closed; this also includes drop off centres so please don’t try to return any books during the strike. Story Planet’s intern extraordinaire, Jennifer Rowland, has more news on the library strike after the jump.
One of the biggest issues brought forward by the library workers is job security. About half of the 2300 employees who are now on strike are only employed part-time and were experiencing ongoing cuts to their hours. The union that is representing the Toronto Public Library Workers was focussed on securing full-time jobs for its members. As of now, library workers, for the most part, earn between $16 and $24 per hour.
There have been talks about Library closures since July 2011 and, throughout that time, everyone seemed to have an opinion on this issue. Remember Doug Ford taking on Margaret Atwood? That all stemmed from Ms. Atwood stating her support for Toronto libraries. Mr. Ford responded that he didn’t know who she is and that if she walked down the street, he wouldn’t recognise her.
Mayor Rob Ford has proven his intent on privatization. With the budget being one of the most talked about news stories right now, have any of you wondered what fate lies ahead for the Toronto Public Libraries? We want to hear your opinions on this! How is the strike going to affect you and how do you feel about it?
For more information (or opinions!) you can check out various sites including the Love a Librarian site, which gives a detailed timeline of events that have led up the strike. You can find this campaign at:
http://ourpubliclibrary.to/2012/02/20/love-a-librarian/
Have a great day and happy reading!
A special thanks to Jennifer Rowland, Intern Extraordinaire for today’s post.
