McGill University-Overworked and stressed, library staff demand better treatment

Overworked and stressed, library staff demand better treatment

“We used to be the Harvard of the North. Now we’re Wal-Mart.”

This is how Franco Taddeo, a library assistant, describes the impact of structural changes at the library....library assistants have expressed discontent to their union, the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association (MUNACA), which represents about 1,700 workers, including the library assistants, clerical staff, and nurses.

MUNACA has filed numerous grievance complaints against management in the past few months due to changes that included laying off student employees at service points, amalgamating the circulation and reserve desks, and altering hours of operation.

Assistants charge that the changes have led to unfair workloads and a stressful employment environment.