An 11th-hour proposal has resulted in a tentative labour agreement for Brampton library workers, the union’s president says.

The tentative deal will be presented to the library’s 129 staff members next week for ratification, according to CUPE Local 1776 President Vee Papadimos.

“They (library management) did address benefits for part-timers, to a point, which we’re happy about,” Papadimos said yesterday.

Earlier this week, the union was concerned that talks had stalled, with library officials “holding fast” on the final offer made to employees last month, Papadimos said.

However, just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, the last day scheduled for negotiations, the two sides came to a tentative settlement, he said.

Union frustration with negotiations began to show two weeks ago, when CUPE issued a news release demanding a fair contract.

Workers have been without a contract since April 1.

The union’s members— representing every position from librarians to shelvers, clerks and IT staff— had not taken a strike vote, but frustrations were mounting.

Affordable benefits were a sticking point in the negotiations, Papadimos said.

Two-thirds of library staff are women and many cannot afford to buy into the current benefits program, according to the union.

Union officials said they had been told “cost containment” was the focus of library management, but millions have been earmarked for renovations at the Cyril Clark branch and another $220,000 has already been spent on new computer equipment.

The union represents library staff at all four of the city’s branches and two satellite libraries
During negotiations, both sides had said providing the citizens of Brampton quality library service was their top priority.