Computers, wi-fi, holds and browsing will all be available at Halifax Public Libraries when they reopen their doors Thursday, after a three-week strike.
Regular programming will not resume until, October 1.
Members of the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees (NSUPE) Local 14 walked off the job August 26 and lined the streets at branches all over HRM fighting for better wages.
Sunday, they ratified a new deal.
A spokesperson for the library in a statement to our newsroom says, they know there is a “profound impact” when their doors are closed and look forward to seeing the community.
Staff frustration lingers
For Halifax Public library workers, there are mixed feelings heading back to work, according to Vice President of the NSUPE, Chad Murphy.
He tells our newsroom staff have been on the job since Monday and are busy preparing for the public.
This involves getting programming ready, working on backlogs, request lists and making sure everyone is on the same page for reopening.
However, he says, there is still a lot of emotion.
“There is some animosity coming back, and even anxiety, for the most part I think staff are still feeling strongly connected to each other after going through that work stoppage for the last three weeks.”
He adds that morale is up but there is some frustration directed at the organization itself based on things that were unsolved in the new agreement.
“There’s feelings that voices weren’t actually being heard and management wasn’t considering a lot of the issues that were brought forward during the time that we were off.”
That being said, he tells us, he thinks many are genuinely happy to be going back to work with a paycheck, but management has a lot of work to do to gain trust back.
Union VP ‘not in favour’ of deal
Forty-one per cent of members voted against the new agreement.
Murphy says, even he himself wasn’t too happy with it and feels they could have gotten more.
The pay scale is:
- Clerks: $19.05/h – $25.31/h, depending on where they land by March 31, 2026.
- Service support: $21.36/h-$28.20/h, depending on what step they are on at the end of the contract.
Murphy adds, they have been fighting to get clerks onto the pay scale for years now so that is a big win, but he still “disappointed” with the offer.
“I feel like, you know, they weren’t considering much of the messaging that was going forward and seeing how much the community values library staff. I think that was difficult for me too, because, you know on the one hand I want to be back at work, but how are we supposed to take care of the public if we can’t take care of ourselves.”
Members grateful for support
There are likely going to be a lot of questions around the strike, when doors open, but Murphy says they are excited to get back into the swing of things.
If you do ask, he says, you can expect a statement from management that he calls, “extremely cookie cutter”, but if staff talk more, they will support that.
Murphy again, extends gratitude to the community.
“Thank you to everyone that supported us while we were off work. Donations, water, food…all of that stuff was greatly appreciated, and our staff are forever thankful for that. ”
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