Bargaining Bulletin #4

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Bargaining Bulletin #4

June 6, 2025

Bargaining Preparations Continue

As we continue to work towards bargaining with the Library, we want to give you an update on what your bargaining committee has been up to and what you can expect in the coming weeks.

Analyzing survey results & forming bargaining proposals

The committee’s recent focus has been reviewing the bargaining survey results, comments, and analysis. Our next steps will be to incorporate your feedback into themes and do some additional research to make sure we have all the information we need to identify proposal themes.

This process will take some time as we want to put together a comprehensive set of proposals  and set ourselves up for a successful round of bargaining.

Once we have our proposal areas finalized, we will be scheduling a meeting where members will have the opportunity to hear about our proposal themes, ask questions, and then vote to ratify the themes.

What will communication look like through bargaining?

We understand members want to hear how things are going at the bargaining table – and we are committed to keeping you informed throughout the process. However, you may notice that we won’t be sharing detailed updates after every session. That is because bargaining is a careful and strategic process.

When we are in negotiations, both sides are working through complex issues, and proposals can change as discussions move forward. Sharing too much detail can lead to confusion or give the employer insight into our strategy that could weaken our position. Some conversations also need time to develop before we can give a full and accurate picture.

Your continued support and engagement will strengthen our position at the bargaining table and will demonstrate to the employer that we are united.

We will continue to keep you updated as negotiations progress. Watch for another bargaining update soon.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out to reach out.

Bargaining Bulletin #3

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Bargaining Bulletin #3

April 23, 2025

Time to fill out your bargaining survey!

Your CUPE 402-02 Library bargaining committee is excited to share the link to the 2025 bargaining survey with you. This survey is your opportunity to tell us what issues matter most to you. Whether it’s wages, benefits, job security, or workplace safety, your feedback helps us understand what’s most important to the membership.

Why should I fill out the survey? 
Your voice shapes our priorities. The bargaining survey results will help the bargaining committee form our bargaining proposals. Bargaining proposals are the suggested changes or improvements we’ll take to the bargaining table. This is your chance to let us know how we can make your workplace better, and what improvements matter to you most.

Strength in solidarity  
A strong response to the survey shows that we’re united and engaged. It shows that our priorities come directly from the membership and that we’re collectively invested in the outcomes. Your participation helps strengthen our position as we head into bargaining.

What happens next?  
The survey is open until Friday, May 9th. Unfortunately we won’t be able to accept late responses, so please fill out your survey as soon as possible.

After the survey closes, we’ll analyze the results and work on putting together our bargaining proposals. This process will take some time as we want to put together a strong package and set ourselves up for a successful round of bargaining.

If you can’t complete the survey online, please contact a member of the bargaining committee and we’ll help make alternate arrangements.

We’ll continue to keep you updated as negotiations progress. Watch for another bargaining update soon.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out.

In solidarity,
Your CUPE 402-02 Library Bargaining Committee

Bargaining FAQ

With preparation for bargaining in progress, we thought it would be a good time to talk about how we communicate with members, and what role bargaining surveys play and why it is important for you to participate.

1. What is bargaining?
Bargaining is a democratic process where working people, through their union, negotiate contracts with their employers that outline the terms and conditions of their employment. It is a dynamic process – every round is different.

2. What is a bargaining survey and why is it important?
Our bargaining survey is an important step in the bargaining process. This is the primary way we get information from members.

The bargaining committee develops the survey and sends it out to all members to help us develop bargaining proposals that best reflect your priorities and needs.

Data from the bargaining survey is one of the primary tools we use to develop bargaining proposals. Filling out the survey is the best way to make sure we hear directly from you about the changes you want to see to our contract during this round of negotiations.

The data we gather also helps ensure we are in the strongest possible position heading into bargaining. Your support and feedback matters and will make this a successful round of bargaining.

We also ask questions to better understand the demographics of the union and some basic union information with the aim to improve our education and outreach.