New BrunswickDozens of library workers who were laid off last spring, will be heading back to their old jobs on Tuesday, following a months long fight with the provincial government over their jobs.School districts now identifying other employees who will be impacted by the reversalAllyson McCormack · CBC News · Posted: Aug 28, 2025 6:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoChristine Silliphant is excited to return to Heartland Community School on Tuesday after months of anticipation about what would happen with her job. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)Christine Silliphant is still in shock, processing the news she has been waiting for all summer long — she will be heading back to Heartland Community School on Tuesday in what she calls her dream job.Silliphant was one of dozens of library workers laid off last spring in response to a $43-million budget shortfall from the province. On Wednesday, a judge put an end to the legal battle that has beleaguered the workers, the union and the province for months, dismissing the government’s request for a stay of the labour board decision in July. That decision ordered the province to reinstate library workers in three school districts, and the hours of school administrative assistants.On Wednesday afternoon, Silliphant received an email advising her that her layoff had been rescinded. She said she is thrilled to be heading back to her old job.On Wednesday, a judge dismissed the government’s request for a stay of the labour board decision in July. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)”Oh, it means everything,” she said. “I never expected I’d be doing this, but I fell in love with it and I’ve been doing it for a long time now and it just means everything. I can’t wait to see the kids again.”But she admits it’s been a roller coaster of emotions this summer. Following the layoffs, Silliphant took another position in a clerical role at a different school, only to be bumped. She then accepted a job as an educational assistant, before getting the notice on Wednesday to report back to the library.It’s a welcome turn of events, but she’ll be moving into the role with bated breath. “I am a little apprehensive,” she said. “I know that their goal is to get rid of the library workers. And so I feel like at some point we still will go. But for now, I’m focusing on the fact that I’m going back. … It’s a bittersweet feeling, but I’m thinking about the sweet part.”WATCH | ‘It feels amazing’: Library workers to return to school next week:School library workers looking forward to getting back to work after court orderA court decision reversing staffing cuts by some New Brunswick school districts is being celebrated by workers and the union that represents them. CBC News made multiple requests for interviews with Education Minister Claire Johnson in recent days, but those requests were declined.Anglophone West and Anglophone South school districts said all library workers and school administrative assistants who were laid off due to the budget reductions have now been notified that their layoffs have been rescinded. The districts are now examining the remaining staff who were impacted during the spring layoffs, and said that process should be complete in the coming days.Theresa McAllister, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2745 president, said she expects about 100 workers to be impacted during the shuffle.Theresa McAllister, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2745 president, said about 100 workers will be affected by the reversal. (Allyson McCormack/CBC)As for the libraries themselves, Silliphant said her entire collection of books was fortunately kept intact. But McAllister said others were dismantled, with books dispersed to classrooms and the space rearranged for other purposes. It’s one of the issues that will have to be addressed next week, McAllister said, adding to the turbulence of the last-minute reversal. “Some of them are very excited to go back to work, some are hesitant,” she said. “It’s mixed emotions. But I think once we get settled and in the position and we go from there moving forward, I think everything will be OK.”Library layoffs loomingMany of those mixed emotions come from comments made last week by Finance Minister René Legacy. In a statement, he said “should a stay not be granted, government intends to proceed with the layoffs of the library workers again once we are legally in a position to do so.”McAllister said that legal position will come once the workers’ tentative agreement has been ratified. Once that’s done, she said workers could legally be laid off again. But either way, they’ll get paid for the year. “We have an article in our collective agreement that guarantees our permanent members 39 weeks of work,” she said. “So take your pick. You’re going to send them home and pay them or keep them there for the service.”She’s hoping the province will keep workers on and come to a consensus in the spring. “Let us work through the year to try to come up with a solution and then in June, which is year-end again, we will look at layoffs compared to elimination. It is a big difference.”ABOUT THE AUTHORAllyson McCormack is a producer with CBC New Brunswick, based in Fredericton. She has been with CBC News since 2008.
Back to school on Tuesday for laid off N.B. school library workers
