BCGEU members working as librarians for the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) have been without a contract since December 2020 and have experienced significant delays to bargaining from the employer, requiring mediator involvement throughout negotiations.

Librarians are seeking a deal that aligns their compensation with other regional library systems in the province and reflects the rising cost of living across Vancouver Island.

Other issues addressed at the table include ongoing occupational health and safety issues including workplace violence and mental health impacts, and disrespectful working conditions.

Despite use of a mediator from the Labour Relations Board, bargaining hit impasse in mid-February 2022 when the employer refused to provide cost-of-living wages and minimizing proposals to address workplace violence.

Librarians then voted 95% in favour of striking for their needs.

The union issued 72-hour strike notice on February 25. On March 1, the employer made a new offer to librarians. However, that offer did not go far enough on wages given members' working conditions. On March 3, the union responded with a counteroffer but the employer claimed it had "no mandate" and librarians began job action on March 9.

Since then, librarians have sent three group letters to the VIRL Board calling on trustees to authorize a new wage mandate. Members' March 17th letter offered trustees research on the wages paid to librarians of VIRL-comparable regional library systems in British Columbia. The intent of the letter was to show that, currently, VIRL librarians are paid significantly less than their counterparts.

On March 21, 18 days since rejecting their counteroffer, the employer invited the union to talk.

On March 23, the employer made an offer but, again, it did not meet librarians' very modest, reasonable and affordable ask - it did not align members' wages with wages of librarians in comparable B.C. regional library systems.

In efforts to reach an agreement, the union proposed a counteroffer which the employer rejected, claiming "no mandate" again.

Despite some movement on both sides, a wage gap is still outstanding and negotiations are at a standstill. No dates are yet set for further talks.

Librarians continue job action - and their call on the VIRL Board to authorize a new wage mandate - until a fair offer is received. We welcome a fair and respectful offer at any time.

Currently, the librarians’ job action has included wearing buttons, distributing fliers, and picket lines outside VIRL branches.

A strike is only one form of job action available to librarians. This is often the last resort as it could involve the closure of some or all VIRL branches. Other forms of job action librarians could take include working to rule. Library workers who are CUPE members are not crossing BCGEU picket lines. 

Visit bcgeu.ca/virl for job action updates. Follow #respectVIRLlibrarians on Twitter and Instagram for updates.

Timeline:

2020:

• December 31: Previous collective agreement expired.

2021:

• July: BCGEU sent formal notice to the employer in hopes of securing bargaining dates.
• August: BCGEU requested assistance from Labour Relations Board to secure bargaining dates with the employer.
• September: Bargaining commenced.
• November 26: Impasse reached.
• December: Mediator requested from the Labour Relations Board.

2022:

• January: Mediation occurred.
• February 9-10: BCGEU members reviewed last tabled offer.
• February 14-18: Members vote to reject last tabled offer and to strike – 95% in favour.
• February 25: BCGEU files 72-hour strike notice.
• March 1: Employer made new offer.
• March 3: Union responded with counteroffer. Union’s legal strike position takes effect. Members submit group letter to VIRL Board.
• March 9: Members picket VIRL’s Cowichan branch in Duncan.
• March 11: Members picket VIRL's Harbourfront branch and Community Commons in Nanaimo. Members submit second group letter to VIRL Board.
• March 12: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo North branch.
• March 13: Members picket VIRL's Chemainus branch.
• March 14: Members picket VIRL's Ladysmith branch.
• March 15: Members picket VIRL's Sidney/North Saanich branch.
• March 16: Members picket VIRL's Campbell River branch.
• March 17: Members picket VIRL's Port McNeill branch. Members submit third group letter to VIRL Board.
• March 18: Members picket VIRL's Bowser, Comox, Port Hardy, Qualicum Beach and Sooke branches.
• March 21: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo Harbourfront and Nanaimo North branches - and all virtual and remote work associated with those sites. Employer invites union to talk.
• March 22: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo Harbourfront, Campbell River and Sidney branches - and all virtual and remote work associated with those sites. Union and employer meet to talk. No offer made.
• March 23: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo Harbourfront, Campbell River and Sidney branches - and all virtual and remote work associated with those sites. Union and employer meet again. Offer and counteroffer made; impasse hit again.
• March 24: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo North, Campbell River, Courtenay, Cowichan (Duncan), Sidney, and Sooke branches - and all virtual and remote work associated with those sites.
• March 25: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo North, Campbell River, Courtenay, Cowichan (Duncan), Sidney and Sooke branches - and all virtual and remote work associated with those sites.
• March 26: Members picket VIRL's Nanaimo North, Nanaimo Harbourfront, Port Alberni, Port McNeill, Campbell River, Courtenay, Cowichan Lake, Cowichan (Duncan), Qualicum Beach, and Sooke branches - and all virtual and remote work associated with those sites.
• March 28: Members from VIRL's Chemainus, Comox, Cowichan Lake, Ladysmith, Nanaimo Harbourfront, Nanaimo Wellington and Nanaimo Wellington branches picket at Nanaimo North branch.
• March 29: Members from VIRL's Cowichan Lake, Ladysmith, Port Hardy and Sooke branches picket at Cowichan (Duncan) branch.
• March 30: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Comox, Sooke, Ladysmith and Parksville branches. 
• March 31: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Cumberland, South Cowichan (Mill Bay), Nanaimo Harbourfront and Qualicum Beach branches.
• April 1: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Courtenay, Cowichan Lake, Chemainus and Port Alberni branches. 
• April 2: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Cumberland, South Cowichan (Mill Bay), Nanaimo Harbourfront and Parksville branches.
• April 3: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike.
• April 4: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Cumberland, South Cowichan (Mill Bay), Nanaimo Harbourfront and Parksville branches. 
• April 5: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Campbell River, Sooke, Gabriola Island and Qualicum Beach branches.
• April 6: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Cumberland, South Cowichan (Mill Bay), Chemainus, Parksville and Qualicum Beach branches. 
• April 7: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Comox, Cowichan Lake, Nanaimo Harbourfront, Nanaimo Wellington and Nanaimo North branches.
• April 8: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Quadra Island, Sidney/North Saanich, Nanaimo Harbourfront, Nanaimo Wellington and Nanaimo North branches. 
• April 9: All BCGEU members at VIRL on strike and picket at Cumberland, Cowichan Lake, Nanaimo Harbourfront, Nanaimo North and Nanaimo Wellington branches.

About the librarians:

The 48 librarians are responsible for library operations at 39 branches across Vancouver Island from parts of Greater Victoria to Port Hardy including the Gulf Islands, Haida Gwaii and Bella Coola.

Librarians provide critical community services to a variety of populations including access to Internet for seniors and literacy skills for children and families. They have also been serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst the province’s opioid crisis, affordable housing crisis, mental health crisis and climate-related disasters.

In mid-February, the librarians voted 95 per cent in favour of job action to back their proposals after mediation between the two parties in January failed to produce an agreement.

About the VIRL Board:

The library system is governed by a board of trustees who, in accordance with B.C.'s Library Act, is made up of elected representatives from 28 member municipalities and 10 regional districts.

The union says those trustees have a role to play in preventing job action and maintaining library services for their communities.

On March 3, librarians submitted a group letter calling on all 38 trustees of the VIRL Board to ensure that librarians’ next collective agreement provides them with fundamental supports – including a psychologically safe and respectful workplace, and wages that align with other libraries and lessen the impact of cost of living and inflation – and pressure the employer, who they oversee, to return to the table and mitigate picket lines and impacts on the community.

UWU/MoveUP