Good Morning CUPE Local 2329:
As you are all aware, the long-awaited Ernst and Young report on the review of library services was finally released yesterday afternoon. It is not surprising that Government chose late on a Thursday afternoon just prior to the first long weekend of the summer to release the report. People are busy preparing and looking forward to the upcoming summer kickoff and are not likely to pay too much attention to the findings of the report.
We are currently digesting its contents and will be issuing a press release next week, once we have had the opportunity to fully consider what it contains.
Our initial thoughts are mixed. The report recognizes that the system is underfunded and understaffed as a result of years of neglect by successive governments. Having said that, it does not provide a place for the contribution of CUPE Local 2329 members in the upcoming decision making regarding future funding and other policy initiatives. It also places greater weight on the contribution of “professional librarians” than on the hard work of you, the CUPE Local 2329 members who provide the frontline services that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador value so highly.
There are no specific recommendations regarding library closures; rather, there are vague observations about establishing location parameters to decide which libraries should close or be amalgamated. Those of you who have had to live with an axe hanging over your heads since the beginning of this saga have not been given a reprise. Instead, you are expected wait longer still to discover what the fate of your employment will be. This is extremely upsetting to us, your CUPE Local 2329 executive and leadership. It is also morally wrong to expect people to live with this kind of stress for such an extended period.
The executive will be meeting with Dawn Learning, our CUPE National representative on Tuesday night to discuss the report and formulate our official response to it. In the meantime, please read it, think about it, and send us your thoughts.
You can read the full report here: http://www.nlpl.ca/phocadownload/NLPL-Review-EY-Report-Final-May-5-2017.pdf
We look forward to hearing from you and to continuing the fight to preserve your employment and to provide quality library services to the people of the province.
In Solidarity,
CUPE Local 2329 Executive