Library Worker Rights Legislation Passes

 The Machinists (IAM) union, which represents Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) workers, is celebrating the passage of the Library Workers Empowerment Act, a milestone piece of legislation initiated by the IAM last year that will grant library staff across Maryland the right to organize. Read more from AFL-CIO here.

AFSCME Honors Library Workers

 Our union’s Cultural Workers United campaign has inspired more than 25,000 library workers at 275 public and private libraries to come together. They are fighting for dignity, respect and a voice on the job to advocate for more resources for their communities and better working conditions. Read More from AFCSME here. 

More on the Chicagoland Union Wave

 For more than a century, the Newberry Library’s grand Romanesque building has loomed over a city block in downtown Chicago.

Established in 1887, the Newberry is home to books, maps, music and other materials spanning six centuries. Its history and majestic architecture evokes a sense of reverence. But its staff can’t survive on cultural cachet alone.

“There’s a lot that’s special about the Newberry,” said Sophia Croll, program manager at the library. Yet the institution has “chewed through a lot of staff,” largely due to low pay, she said. “You couldn’t afford to live in this city and work here.” More from the Chicago Sun Times

Jefferson County Public Library Workers Unionize and Make History

Jefferson County Public Library workers made Colorado history last week by becoming the first group to organize a union under the state’s new collective bargaining law for county employees. The workers voted to form a union with AFSCME Council 18. The 350 library workers won their union election on March 7 with 81% voting yes. Workers are seeking to address low wages and workplace safety. Read more from AFL-CIO here

Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Labor Unions Guide

Maintained by the Industrial and Labor Relations Research Team, this guide compiles publicly available resources essential for understanding and participating in the collective bargaining process. It includes collective bargaining agreement databases from the public and private sectors of the United States and other countries, in addition to statistical resources on labor unions, compensation, and benefits. The guide also gives suggestions for background research resources and current periodicals on labor relations, and has a comprehensive listing of labor-related government agencies, labor unions, and labor policy organizations.

Published by Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University Library. Access for free here. 

Smith College Library Workers Announce Unionization with OPEIU!

 Staff cite inadequate compensation, insufficient training, unclear decision making processes, not enough full-time exempt positions, lack of worker agency, job creep, and limited growth opportunities  as issues that surresed their organization efforts. Read more for OPEIU here. 

Baltimore County Library Workers Fight to Expand Collective Bargaining Rights

IAM Maryland public library workers recently joined a coalition led by the Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO affiliates/labor unions, state legislators, and workers statewide. The coalition is rallying behind a trio of bills designed to expand collective bargaining rights for workers that could reshape the landscape of collective bargaining in Maryland:

• HB 609/SB 591(Library Workers Empowerment Act) would allow employees of Maryland’s public libraries to form and join unions and participate in collective bargaining.
• HB 260/SB 192(State Personnel – Collective Bargaining – Supervisory Employees) would allow over 4,000 supervisors employed by the State to collectively bargain.
• HB 493/SB #TBD(State Personnel – Collective Bargaining – Faculty, Part-Time Faculty, Postdoctoral Associates, and Graduate Assistants) would grant collective bargaining rights to faculty, part-time faculty, and graduate assistants at institutions within the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Read more from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers here