Striking Essex County library workers have been off the job for over a month now, so their union's organizing a food drive.
"It's day 34, and some of us are the sole breadwinners in our families so we're definitely starting to feel the pinch," says CUPE Local 2974 spokesperson Lori Wightman. "They're trying to maintain their households and on a reduced wage it's difficult at times."
The food drive is at the Essex branch on Fairview St. W in Essex.
The union is also holding a rally to boost morale on the picket lines.
Wightman says morale is good and their resolve is strong, but it's frustrating municipal officials have largely remained silent during the strike.
At the last county council meeting, library workers attempted to speak but were told they couldn't because they weren't on the agenda.
"Maureen O'Reilly, who attempted to become a delegation at that last meeting, she fulfilled all the responsibilities for that, but was told the agenda was too full," says Wightman. "We kind of question [that]. There was only one delegation and the meeting was done in 55 minutes."
Wightman says O'Reilly is on the agenda for county council's August 10 meeting.
While the strike drags on, she says the Essex County Library Board has given no indication it's interested in returning to the bargaining table, even after an arbitrator backed paramedics who had the same dispute over sick time with the county.
Unfortunately, Wightman says arbitration isn't an option for the library workers.
"Arbitrators are usually reserved for people who don't have the right to strike, police, fire, paramedics," she says. "We do have that right so right now we're exercising that right."
