2,300 Toronto Public Library workers are on the verge of a strike

Over the weekend, the City of Toronto reached a deal with some public sector workers, averting the closure of city-run daycares ahead of March Break, but union leaders representing 2,300 Toronto Public Library (TPL) workers say labour unrest is on the horizon after members voted “resoundingly” in favour of a strike.

In a news release issued earlier this week, CUPE 4948 said it held a vote last weekend, which garnered a historic turnout and saw over 96 per cent of members support the potential job action.

“It was the highest number of people that have participated in a vote so far,” union president Brandon Haynes told The Leader Spirit.

Haynes is the president of CUPE local 4948 which represents approximately 2,300 full-time and part-time workers, including librarians, library assistants, pages, and other frontline staff. Their main sticking points include the high amount of part-time work and overall low staffing levels.

“Given all of the changing needs of the City of Toronto, library workers [are] kind of expected to step up and do what we do best, which is serve the people of Toronto, but it does have a toll on us at times, and we just want to push for more stability and more human-centered library services,” Haynes explained.

Their concerns also include a call for safer working conditions.

“We’ve had people assaulted on the job. A lot of sexual harassment does occur,” Haynes added. “There’s a lot of disruptive behavior that we haven’t been fully able to address and our members are feeling really frustrated about that.”

The Toronto Reference Library, located downtown near Bloor-Yonge subway station, is just one of 100 branches scattered across the city. According to the Toronto Public Library website, in 2023, there were more than 46 million visits to TPL – with 12.5 million in-person visits to the branches.

“I work in the library, I work from home all the time, and it’s lovely to be in a space that has that sense of community. That has access to the resources that it does,” one woman told The Leader Spirit.

“They deserve to have a safe working environment,” another man added.

A representative for the Toronto Public Library could not be reached for comment.

The last time library workers went on strike was 13 years ago, in March 2012, and lasted 11 days. 

It’s unclear if workers will walk off the job if no agreement is reached this time around. Several bargaining dates are scheduled throughout the month, and the union will have a meeting with the Library Board’s bargaining committee on Monday.

“We’re not just the workers here. We are your neighbours. We’re your friends,” Haynes added. “We want libraries to be open and thriving for years to come.”