MEDIA ADVISORY: Thunder Bay Public Library workers to hold solidarity rally and info picket at Waverley Branch open house

Library workers are facing a strike deadline at 12:01 am on Thursday, October 15, 2026. A Ministry of Labour-appointed conciliator recently clarified that the deadline is October 15, not October 16, as had originally been announced.

Thursday’s rally will include library workers, municipal workers, trade union allies, community members, library users, and members of the public. A delegation of library workers, including bargaining team members, will attend the 5:15 p.m. monthly meeting of the Thunder Bay Public Library Board where they will bring this message: “No more concessions. Fair deal now.”

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.

Rally participants will also be distributing information leaflets to attendees as they arrive at the Waverley Branch open house.

WHAT: Solidarity Rally & Info Picket
WHEN: Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Waverley Branch, Thunder Bay Public Library, 285 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, P7B 1A9 (map)

Members of the unions’ Executive Committees and Bargaining Teams, along with trade union and community allies, will be available for comment during the event.

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.
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VIDEOS: What are library workers asking for? https://bit.ly/tblwvideos

Contacts

For more information, please contact:
James Clark
CUPE Communications Representative
289-678-4894 (no SMS) | jclark@cupe.ca

Industry:

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