Bradford West Gwillimbury Library workers on strike since Friday, July 21, 2023

Over the course of about 48 minutes, 11 people made presentations to council in support of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Library (Bradford, Ontario). workers who have been on strike since Friday, July 21, when negotiations over their first collective agreement came to a head. 

Katherine Grzejszczak, president of CUPE Local 905,represents the 36 striking library workers,

Andrea Vander Kooij is a children’s programming librarian who has worked at the library for eight years and said staff are on strike because the library board isn’t being reasonable in negotiating the staff’s first collective agreement.

“Our employer has not negotiated with us; we have negotiated with ourselves. Time and again our offers have been rejected by the employer with no counter offer, which is not a negotiation ... The latest public statement from the employer says they have worked hard to avoid a strike. On the contrary, they have worked hard to avoid a union,” she said.