A Local Workplace Equality Issue

Filed Under Life, WTF?, Workplace Equality | February 18th, 2008 

Time once again, for a local (Victoria, BC) story. This one’s on a workplace equality issue.

The issue is this: The Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) board has locked out its employees and the public, yet again. The reason, is because they are unwilling to pay a decent wage that is on par with the rest of the city workers to their employees who work at the region’s libraries.

This small minded action actually affects me directly in two ways. I was intending to do some research this week at the library — unfortunately, all nine branches are closed; for who knows how long. The second way this action by the board affects me, is potential loss of income. You see, one of the hard working employees at one of the branches happens to be my partner’s tenant. If this tenant can’t work, and get paid, how can he or she, (I’m not saying which) pay rent? Oh sure, maybe this person can go on UI (or whatever its called these days) or Social Services but that’s an option that this hard working person shouldn’t even have to consider.

Libraries are in my opinion an essential service. Libraries help provide the people with an essential wealth of information and learning. They promote literacy and research. They kept me out of trouble when I was younger. When I was in high school, I used to skip classes because I wasn’t able to adjust to the system. Most of the time, I would head straight for the local library or museum. Libraries helped to keep my mind active.

But the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) and the City of Victoria isn’t interested in any of this. They’re content to kill our libraries in order to make their point. A pity; because killing a resource like this isn’t going to solve Victoria’s problems.

More on this Story: The Greater Victoria Public Library Conspiracy