Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, February 24, 2012

Toronto library workers say labour talks stalled

The union representing workers at the Toronto Public Library says negotiations for a new contract have stalled.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4948 requested Ontario’s labour minister issue a no-board report which sets the clock ticking towards a strike/lockout deadline.

The report is expected next Wednesday or Thursday. Under Ontario labour law, 17 days after the report comes out, the union would be in a legal strike position and the employer in a position to lock out workers.

The workers made the move to crank up the pressure for progress in the talks, union president Maureen O’Reilly told reporters at city hall.

“Our message is to get focused,” O’Reilly said. “Let’s get this job done. Let’s get a negotiated collective agreement.”

The 98-branch library system has 2,300 staff. Their contract expired Dec. 31.

O’Reilly said talks haven’t addressed issues unique to the library, including the fact that half the workers are part-timers who are finding it difficult to get enough hours to make ends meet.

The library union says that while demand for service is up, staffing has been cut by 17 per cent since 1998. The union fears the library wants to rely more and more on part-timers.

The library doesn’t agree with the union that talks are at an impasse, said spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins.

“We feel they (talks) have been positive and they’ve been moving well,” Aikins said. “We have continued to bargain in good faith and we’re committed to a successful resolution of all the issues.”

The request for a no-board report is seen as a normal step in bargaining, said Councillor Sarah Doucette, a member of the library board.

“I’m not worried,” Doucette said. “I think it’s part of negotiations, part of moving things forward and getting a settlement.”

“My understanding is we’ve got a bunch of bargaining dates set, we’re moving forward and I’m very optimistic.”

The two sides are scheduled to resume talks on March 1 with the assistance of a conciliator.

“I think all the issues can be resolved,” said Councillor Paul Ainslie, chair of the library board. “If they want to go and ask for a no-board, that’s their business but I don’t understand why the union executive is pushing this way.”

The city had requested a no-board report in recent negotiations with its 6,000 outside workers, which led to a Feb. 5 strike/lockout deadline. The two sides reached a deal at the deadline.

Meanwhile, talks continue with 23,000 inside workers in CUPE Local 79, said Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, who chairs council’s employee and labour relations committee.

“There’s been no request for a no-board report at this time, not by them and not by us,” Holyday said.

However, he warned that the city “doesn’t intend to let the talks go on forever. There’s no reason why we couldn’t come to a successful conclusion.”

In the library talks, the union says 107 positions were deleted when the 2012 budget was set, which means users will wait longer for help accessing library materials.

Management, on the other hand, says the library is bringing in self-serve technology for users to check out materials themselves, freeing up library staff to concentrate on helping patrons find resources.

Original Article
Source: Star
Author: Paul Moloney

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