growing income gap “the untold story” at the public library
DESCRIPTION
The untold story at the Saskatoon Public Library involves the growing gap between those who make a good living working at the library and those who struggle to make ends meet. About one third of the 250 CUPE library workers earn $10 or less an hour, while nearly all of the library’s managers are paid more than $90,000 a year. The library director received more than $134,500 in 2011. The big compensation increases for library managers and out-of-scope administrative staff came in 2007-2008, when the library board provided increases that averaged 34 per cent. CUPE library workers received increases of 4 per cent that year. “We have no quarrel with out-of-scope staff getting paid what they are worth,” says Sue Emson, a member of the union negotiating committee. “But we want the library board to fix the pay inequities facing everyone else – the silent 93 per cent.”TRANSCRIPT
Presented by CUPE 2669 members at the Saskatoon Public Library
There is a story about the Saskatoon
Public Library that needs to be told.
It involves the growing gap between
those who make a good living working
at the library and those who struggle
to make ends meet.
Library managers received big increases:In 2007-08, the Saskatoon Public Library’s managers and non-union support staff received big compensation increases that averaged 34 per cent. For example: *
• Payment to the Library Director rose 23.1 per cent to $134,064.
• PaymenttothePayandBenefitsCo-ordinatorincreased 52.5 per cent.
By 2011, most of the library managers received more than $90,000 a year.
* BasedoninformationobtainedthroughtheCityofSaskatoon Public Accounts
CUPE library workers are struggling to make ends meetIncontrast,mostCUPEmembersattheSaskatoonPublicLibrary are paid considerably less than other library workersinRegina—orevenwesternCanada.Oneofeverythree earns about $10 or less an hour and receives few ifanybenefits.Aswell,somelibrarianswithMaster’sdegrees earn less than non-union administrative support staff at the library.
Fix the pay problem for CUPE library workersThelibraryboardfixedthepayproblemformanagers. ItistimetheydidthesameforCUPElibraryworkers.
CUPEwantsthelibraryboardtoestablishaminimumwage of $12 an hour and provide pay increases of 15 per cent over three years.
UrgetheLibraryBoardtonegotiateadecentincrease. It’s overdue.
For more information: readallaboutus.net
The untold story at the public library.
CUPE library worker Sue Emson