The union is against closing a Community Connections hub in Winnipeg. It threatens action over a service change.
Gord Delbridge sent a letter to the mayor objecting to the new plan where workers from a safety group will take over. The group is the Downtown Community Safety Partnership. City librarians and safety hosts used to work there; however, the 2025 budget has no money for it, and it shut down last year.
Delbridge said union members normally did this work, so now, they must take further action. Supporters say the hub helped library users, especially newcomers and downtown residents. Crisis workers used the space to help people with problems away from the library, which helped keep things safe.
The mayor thinks the province should handle some services, like housing and health info. He worries the space is outside security. The safety partnership began in 2020, with several groups working together, including the city and the police, to patrol downtown and keep it safe.
The partnership wants a “satellite space” where outreach workers would offer support. It would not be a drop-in center, but the public could use it if needed. The current plan wants to replace Community Connections, which started in 2022 to improve library safety. One city councillor questioned the location as the hub cost about $614,000 each year.
The union says the plan breaks its agreement and violates the Labour Relations Act. The union will defend its work, including using successor rights if needed. Successor rights protects unions, allowing them to represent workers if a business is sold. Colin Fast said unions often raise concerns, and procedures exist to address them.
The safety partnership will keep offering current services from a new location and already has a library presence. Delbridge hopes to reach an agreement with the city, as the union wants Community Connections reopened as before.
