Public libraries in BC have not received their annual operating grants from the provincial government.  They also have not been informed of the amount of the grant they will be receiving.  BCLA has not learned of any decisions by the provincial government, but we are very concerned about the situation.  We are particularly worried because some libraries rely on the grants for up to half of their annual funding, and we are already well into the fiscal year. While other libraries may not derive a large percentage of their funding from the operating grants, a cut in grant funding would still be extremely serious, especially because of the increased demand on library services that is likely to continue during the economic downturn.

It is during downturns in our economy when strong public libraries and library advocacy is needed most.  It is the public library that people go to when they can no longer subscribe to their favourite magazines or newspaper, or to their Internet service.  It is from the public library that people borrow rather than buy the latest bestseller, music CD or DVD.  It is the public library that parents bring their children for free literacy-building programs.

As the public’s buying power shrinks, people will be relying on their public library for:
• Vital information on job opportunities, career planning, small business management and computer training
• Computer skills for downloading (and downloaded) government forms, sending resumes, online applications, email
• Building skills for reading, writing and numeracy, manuals and meeting rooms for tutoring
• ESOL, literacy, learning languages
• Entertainment, genealogy, travel, escape literature, citizenship, cultural networks.

Please participate in the http://www.stopbclibrarycuts.ca/ campaign to save funding for your community’s public library.

Go to http://www.stopbclibrarycuts.ca to sign the “Don’t Pull the Plug on Libraries” online petition and learn more about the issue.
Join the postcard campaign by signing and mailing a postcard to the Hon. Premier Gordon Campbell – postcards will be available at your library or they can download a copy from http://www.stopbclibrarycuts.ca.
Call or send a letter to your local BC Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and/or the Minister of Education, Hon. Margaret MacDiarmid
Send a letter to the local newspaper editor stating your support for continued provincial operating grants for BC public libraries.

Remember, your mum, dad or child needs our libraries more than ever.  Our folks with disabilities need support from the community library.  Libraries are free for you and me because of our tax dollars.  Libraries reflect who we are and what we do.  Your services that you own and support are slipping away - Don’t pull the plug on libraries.

See your CUPE 391 e-mail and bulletin board for the address of the General Meeting @ 6 p.m.  The meeting is in a party room on the seawall with a grand view of False Creek.  The Fireworks are west of the building, still on the seawall.  Come one, Come all. Refreshments and pizza will be served before the meeting and after, refreshments of a different calibre will be served.  We are celebrating Chris and Erik’s brilliant work on our award winning website and our highly functional e-mail with accounts for every member.

A delegate will be elected from the floor to attend CUPE National in Montreal, October 5-9.

At our General Meeting (July 22, 2009), members of CUPE 391 will be asked to vote on a new Letter of Understanding (LOU) between CUPE391 and our Employer. This new LOU addresses the classification review appeal process at the Library. Previous to this LOU, the classification review appeal process was governed by Human Resources (HR) guidelines and a signed letter of agreement called the “Job Evaluation Appeal Committee Agreement”. These two documents described the process for appealing the decisions that came out of classification reviews (also called “job evaluations"). Due to a lack of clarity in the language of the HR guidelines and the lack of transparency around the JEAC agreement, the Classification Committee of CUPE 391 sought changes to this process in the 2007 round of bargaining. A committee was struck during bargaining to look at the language and process of classification review appeals. This letter of understanding is the result of this joint committee’s discussions.

The LOU does not contain significant modifications to the process but it does make the process easier to understand and makes it a joint agreement between the Employer and the Union rather than a process governed solely by the Employer. The LOU will be made available at the next General meeting.

Members will be asked to vote on whether or not they accept the LOU. If we vote “no”, the existing HR guidelines and JEAC letter will remain in place. If we vote “yes”, the new LOU will govern the classification review appeal process.

If you would like further information, please contact Gerard Batty, Anita Galanopoulos or Laura Safarian.

Receipted childcare will be reimbursed to allow members to attend General Meetings.

CUPE BC is offering two retirement planning workshops in the fall. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please e-mail me and I will register you.

Information about the workshops can be found at the following links:

September 24-26: http://www.cupe.bc.ca/files/retirement_planning_-_sept_24-26_-_burnaby_-_metro.pdf
October 22-24: http://www.cupe.bc.ca/files/retirement_planning_-_oct_22-24_-_vancouver_-_metro.pdf

Please check the Union Bulletin Board and the CUPE 391 website (Committees) to find the Education Chair.  Let this person know of your interest.

The Union and the Library Board were told that the average sick leave of VPL employees ... Please check CUPE 391 email for the reset of the result of the FOI.

in solidarity,
Alex

I apologise for not using the blog recently.  We have been quoted out of context on a local blog which is noted for its inaccuracies.  However, CUPE 391 will now have to report our business through our more traditional channels.  Any matters that do not belong in the public sphere will be sent through the CUPE 391 e-mail account.  We will also continue to post on the CUPE 391 bulletin boards in the worksites and occasionally use the all staff VPL address.  On this point, I will now post the next general meeting but will send meeting details through the CUPE 391 and VPL e-mail addresses.

1. General Meeting

General Meeting
July 22, 6 p.m.

You must attend this general meeting if you do nothing else of redeeming social value this summer.  We will conduct union business, with pleasure to follow.  Please read your CUPE 391 e-mail to get the annotated version of the meeting agenda.  Also, the address of my building.  We will be having the meeting in the party room in my building because A) it is a great spot for a meeting with a fantastic view, barbeque, and movie theatre and B) We want to have a party after the meeting so that we can have a show and tell: the launch of the CUPE local 391 e-mail with all its attendant wonders.  Erik and Chris have done wonderful work for our local and we need to recognise this and celebrate the results.  It should be fun.  The Farmers Almanac reports that this is a good day for a meeting, digging holes, baking, cutting hair and firewood and getting married.

CRRA - Criminal Record Review Act
The saga of the criminal record check has now ended.  The local has won two major issues through the arbitration process.  The right for all library workers (including new hires) to have the much less invasive criminal record check under the auspices of the Criminal Record Review Act now applies.  Previously the Employer was subjecting employees to the much more indepth check which included everything, even sightings of your person at protest rallies. We grieved the original attempt in Other library systems have been watching our battle with the Employer over this matter.  This ruling will probably set the bar for other libraries. 

History of Employment Check Verification
I presented to the Board September 27, 2006 on the original suggested implementation of Employment Checks.  In the opinion of the Union
Police Record/Employment checks
Credit checks
Enhanced police checks
were too far-reaching and unreasonably intrusive.  The enhanced checks published every misdemeanor, including being at parties where the police appeared or public demonstrations.  These records were to be lodged in Human Resources.  The Union thought that we should have, at the most, a check under the Criminal Record Review Act. 

This process has taken three years to reach a fair result.  Please call the union office if you have any questions.  604-322-4879 or e-mail

I have sent the rest of the blog entry on the CRRA arbitration as an attachment through your CUPE 391 email.  Please read your VPL email for instructions on how to retrieve it.

in solidarity

Alex