Safe Workers = Safe Patrons: Library Workers in Thunder Bay Call for Immediate Action After Another Violent Incident
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THUNDER BAY, Ontario — 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.
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'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.
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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.
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'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.
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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.
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Re 'In its bid to rescue Afghans, Ottawa is fracturing their families' (Opinion, May 31): I can only imagine the relentlessly pounding and debilitating terror one must feel while anxiously awaiting safe passage out of Pakistan. I cannot understand why the Canadian immigration system is unable or, I shudder to think, unwilling to fix its flaw and expedite family unification on Canadian soil, given that many of these Afghans were indispensable allies for Canadians stationed in Afghanistan during the war. Perhaps a few terse pointers from Mark Carney could do the trick. Elsewhere, nearly 60 Afghan women's rights defenders have also been hiding in Pakistan ('Afghan women activists in Pakistan fear deportation as country cracks down on refugees' – April 22). Surely the Canadian government can do something to help these courageous women escape the awaiting brutality of both the Pakistani police and the Taliban. L.H. MacKenzie Vancouver Re 'A real reform mandate for the first federal AI minister' (Editorial, May 31): The artificial intelligence revolution needs thoughtful regulation. Another important AI-specific element of Evan Solomon's mandate letter should be policies to promote deployment of digital technologies by Canadian business to reskill and upskill our workforce, and to develop new products and services. Canada lags many countries, especially the United States, with the digital economy previously estimated by the Bank of Canada to account for as little as 5.5 per cent of GDP. Moreover, research shows that Canada faces serious digital skill shortages that are impacting labour supply, business efficiencies and growth. In the Industrial Revolution, it was the deployment of the steam engine that spurred economic growth through innovations worldwide. We should keep in mind that in the past, shared prosperity emerged only when technological advances were made to work for everyone. 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We are all in this together. Joshua Levy Montreal Re 'Cattle have roamed Cambridge's city centre for hundreds of years. GPS is keeping the tradition going' (June 4): Very charming tradition. However, one minor – major? – problem has not been mentioned. I am talking about the rather copious amounts of 'pasture pastry' from each of the lovely beasts. How does the city deal with it: Cow diapers? Udder underwear? Just asking. Baily Seshagiri Ottawa Re 'I no longer knew how to find God, so nature became my church' (First Person, June 5): In a COVID-19 world, some have not returned to church. However, as rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, 'faith is faithfulness.' Authentic worship is a discipline, an exercise. It is not only about what we receive, it is about what we give. As the essay-writer acknowledges, there is no similar community in communing with nature. I used to say that the church would always be there when people choose to return to it. Not any more. Many congregations struggle to survive. When people do not attend their local church, they often do not support it. If she chooses to go back to church one day, I hope it is there for her. Keith McKee Reverend London, Ont. I appreciate the essay-writer's awakening to the world around her in nature. I call nature God's first scripture. The parallels between outdoor sanctuary and wooden pews and stained glass are true: They are spaces to inspire, to inhale the spirit. I don't go to church to meet God; God is everywhere. I go to meet others along the way, and am determined to create a space where we are awakened, comforted, tear-soaked and then sent outdoors to nature ready to bring love to feed the lost and lonely creatures of the world. For me, there is a call to engage and transform the world, one goldfinch or silver-haired human at a time. John Pentland Reverend Hillhurst United Church; Calgary .................................................................................................................................. Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
