The union representing library workers in Windsor has "major concerns" with proposed operating hour changes for library branches across the city in 2025.
CUPE Local 2067 President Katie Vlanich says the union is not against expanding hours but says the expansion is causing issues with access hours at branches.
She says access hours are different than operating hours and believes expanding hours on Sundays are coming at the expense of access hours.
Vlanich says the union is not opposed to a 'true expansion' of hours, instead of a re-alignment or re-adjusting of hours.
"An expansion of hours has never been something that the union has been against," says Vlanich. "We want our public to be able to access the library but the issue we have is that the Sunday hours are coming at the expense of access hours throughout the rest of the week."
She says users can currently access a library in Windsor from Monday to Thursday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Vlanich says access will change at all branches if the proposal is accepted.
"There will be no library in the city of Windsor open on Monday and Wednesday mornings until noon or Tuesday or Thursday evenings after 6 p.m.," says Vlanich. "From Tuesday to Wednesday that means you will be unable to access a library service from 6 p.m. on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday. That's a huge chunk of time that you're unable to access the services that you currently are able to access and rely on."
She says the proposal will 100% impact programming.
"We have said an expansion of hours is a good thing but you can't expand operationally while cutting access," she says. "Again I think sometimes when you're looking at numbers, the operational and the access hours get confused and I understand, it's a complicated issue. I had to take some time to wrap my head around it too."
Vlanich adds during the latest round of bargaining, schedules were proposed but there was no schedule agreed upon.
She says the union did not have a say in the proposed changes.
"It is the employer's purview to determine the hours of operation for the public library but from the beginning we have said, the Sunday expansion would come at a cost during the week," she says.
As AM800 news reported on Saturday, library administration is proposing a schedule change that would increase services to seven days a week at all branches.
The proposal also unifies hours.
All branches would be open on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Branches would also be open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Monday and Wednesday, all branches would be open from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The proposal will be discussed and voted on at Tuesday's Windsor Public Library Board meeting.