Library workers vote to join union

By Penticton Herald StaffMonday, November 27, 2006 http://www.pentictonherald.ca/article_2502.php
Staff members at the Penticton Public Library are now wearing the union label.A group of 17 library workers, including technicians, assistants and pages (who restock books onto the shelves), have voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees as a sub-local of CUPE 608 which represents Penticton city workers.The union certification ballot count saw 12 workers vote in favour of unionization and two opposed. Three others were absent, while four management personnel will remain outside the union."These workers have been considering joining the union for a long time," said Rob Hewitt, CUPE's servicing rep. "They felt that they needed representation in order to have their concerns heard by the library."Library director Larry Little said the library has a good working relationship with its staff. He noted the library workers used to be union members in the 1970s, but later decertified to form their own association.Little said he understands the employees opted to rejoin the union so they could have a third party involved in contract negotiations with the library board. The Penticton Library has a $1-million annual budget, of which about $625,000 is earmarked towards wages."I can see it being business as usual," he said. "We have a good working relationship so there's not going to be a disruption of services."Union representatives now plan to seek input from the library workers on their priorities for a first collective agreement.