Picketing at libraries across Vancouver Island is expected to escalate today, after the British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) rejected the latest offer from Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL).
In February, BCGEU members voted 95% in favour of a strike mandate, resulting in a notice being filed to VIRL.
On March 9th, members of the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) working as librarians for the VIRL began picketing at VIRL’s Cowichan branch, seeking a deal that aligned their compensation with other libraries in the province.
In a release March 24th, VIRL announced their most recent offer put forward to the BCGEU has been rejected by their bargaining committee.
As a result, service-impacting strikes have escalated, closing the following branches on March 24th:
- Campbell River
- Courtenay
- Cowichan (Duncan)
- Nanaimo North
- Sidney/North Saanich
- Sooke
According to the VIRL, the offer remains on the table at this time.
The ongoing picketing postponed the grand opening of the newest branch addition to the VIRL network, set to take place this Saturday, March 26th.
The VIRL and BCGEU have been bargaining over the BCGEU Collective agreement since September 2021. In December 2021, the agreement expired.
