PSA: Solidarity with Vancouver Library Workers

by matttbastard

Hi,

Spartikus here. I’m a loyal Obsidian Wings reader and occasional commentator. I work for the Vancouver Public Library and since late July we have been on strike – the first strike in our 77 year unionized history. Our most important issue is pay equity. Library workers have been predominantly female throughout modern history and today the workforce of our library remains 85% female. And as a female predominant workforce librarians have been, and this is a hard comment to make in the 21st century, undervalued and under compensated. Librarians in the Vancouver system require at a minimum a Masters degree (with quite a few Ph.D’s in the ranks). Yet in Vancouver they are not compensated on the same scale as others of equal education and responsibility in traditionally male dominated professions within the workforce of the City of Vancouver, in Canadian university libraries, in library systems in other provinces, and indeed in librarian positions in the private sector. In fact manual labourer positions with our city, that only require a high school degree, are compensated at higher level than starting positions at the Library.

A detailed case for Pay Equity in regards to local conditions in Vancouver is made here. An interesting factoid: In 1998 the average Canadian woman earned 72.8% of the average Canadian man. In 2003 this has dropped to 71%. The free market does not seem to be correcting this historical wrong of it’s own accord.

I should note I am not a librarian. (I’m a graphic designer and as such am likely not to see any financial benefit from a pay equity agreement.) Yet I accept intellectually the strong case made for our issues, and on an emotional level will stand with my co-workers and friends. This is, quite frankly, a good cause. It’s fair, and would not be onerous on the Vancouver taxpayer.

I’ve long been a frustrated film maker, and have made a series of videos on our issues and experiences: The Read In; The Black Out Week; The Rally; Grandeur on Georgia; The Buttoneers; and The Flying Bike Brigade.

One of my hobbies is still photography, and I have a flickr gallery here.

A colleague has also made a number of videos: Pay Equity: Recipe for Disaster; Auxiliaries: The Gentle Sherpas of the Public Library; Wage and Term: It’s the Amount That Counts.

Though my spouse is also with the Library (thus we’ve lost both incomes) I am not asking for anything other than a few moments of your time, and perhaps a word or note to your local librarian. It’s my belief that pressure within the professional librarian community is just as effective as local political pressure.

And, I hope, you will be entertained.

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