A potential strike has been averted after Toronto Public Library (TPL) and the union representing its 2,300 workers (CUPE Local 4948) reached a tentative, four-year agreement.
In a release Monday morning, TPL said the tentative agreement “reflects the important work of Toronto Public Library employees who serve Toronto residents at 100 library branches across the city, both as frontline and support staff.”
Details on the deal are confidential until the Toronto Public Library Board and union membership have an opportunity to review and ratify the terms, the release adds.
The labour unrest reached a boiling point after TPL employees, including full-time and part-time workers, librarians, library assistants, pages, and other frontline staff, voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike earlier this month.
CUPE 4948 said over 96 per cent of members supported the potential job action.
Their main sticking points included the high amount of part-time work, low staffing level, and unsafe work conditions.
The last time library workers went on strike was 13 years ago, in March 2012. The strike lasted 11 days.
With files from Afua Baah and Denio Lourenco, CityNews
