Thunder Bay Public Library workers hold Thursday media conference as strike deadline looms

THUNDER BAY, ON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thunder Bay Public Library workers and their allies will hold a media conference on Thursday, October 1, in front of the Waverley library branch, 285 Red River Road, in advance of a fast-approaching strike deadline.

Over 70 workers are employed in Thunder Bay’s public library and represented by CUPE 3120 and CUPE 87-18. Their collective agreement expired a year ago. While the workers have been attempting to negotiate a new contract, management has been pushing a raft of concessions.

The union faces a strike deadline of 12:01 am on Friday, October 16. If a deal can’t be reached by then, pickets will go up at all four library branches in Thunder Bay—which means a strike could be underway during municipal elections on October 26.

Speakers will address the negative impact on library services of management’s attack on working conditions at the library. In particular, the union will also sound the alarm about the impending year-long closure for renovations of the Library’s Waverley branch, with no confirmed plans by management to continue providing service or running programs in an alternate location.

WHEN: Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 12 noon
WHERE: Waverley Branch, Thunder Bay Public Library, 285 Red River Road (map)
The media conference will take place in the parkette opposite the Library.

SPEAKERS:

• Deryk Fournier: President, CUPE 87
• Carlos Santander-Maturana: President, Thunder Bay & District Labour Council
• Yolanda McClean: President, CUPE Ontario
• Lise Vaugeois: MPP, Thunder Bay – Superior North (Ontario NDP)

-30-

CUPE 3120 represents the Library Assistants, Library Technicians, Custodian, Maintenance Persons, Cleaners, Network and Software Support Analysts, Community Facilitators, and Finance Staff from the Thunder Bay Public Library.

CUPE 87-18 represents seven full-time librarians from the Thunder Bay Public Library.