Safe Workers = Safe Patrons: Library Workers in Thunder Bay Call for Immediate Action After Another Violent Incident

THUNDER BAY, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following another violent incident at a Thunder Bay Public Library branch, library workers are calling on their employer to take immediate action for worker and patron safety.

“One of our members was hospitalized after an assault last week, and in the library nothing has changed to protect workers or the public. There was another violent incident at the same branch yesterday. Library management has been incredibly negligent when it comes to health and safety and we can’t wait another day,” said Margaret Demillo, president of CUPE 3120, which represents almost 60 workers at the city’s four library branches.

Between January and March, there were more than 200 incidents at the city’s libraries – a 73 percent increase over the previous quarter. The Brodie branch, which saw the violent assault of a library worker last week, saw a whopping 183 percent increase.

“Management knows there is a problem. The city knows there is a problem. Council saw fit to have security at City Hall to protect themselves, but the people working across the street at the library? They’re left on their own,” Demillo said.

Following the May 26 assault, and months of requests from staff, library management publicly stated they were finally considering security for the Brodie branch. But to date there have been no additional security measures put in place, and no details about how security would work to effectively protect staff and patrons or what is being done at other branches, which are also experiencing higher numbers of incidents of abuse.

CUPE is the union for library workers in Ontario, representing workers at in 67 municipal and university library systems across the province.