Maryland Library Workers United
Fighting for our rights and securing a voice on the job!
Maryland Library Workers Want Their Rights
Having the right to form a union to collectively bargain is protected under the United States Constitution. However, in order to exercise that right, there must be a process. In Maryland, public library workers lack that process unless enabling legislation is passed into law by the General Assembly. In 2023, the House passed a bill but the session ended before it received a vote in the Senate. We intend to revisit this initiative in 2024.
It’s important to understand that any proposed bill WILL NOT require library workers to become union. Rather, it sets forth the necessary rules and steps interested library workers will need to follow should they attempt to unionize and bargain wages, hours, benefits and working conditions. Supporting this bill supports the library workers who provide such valuable services to communities across the state of Maryland. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is committed to helping library workers gain access to their rights. Will you?
WHY IS LEGISLATION NECESSARY?
Most workers are covered by existing labor laws that outline their rights, responsibilities and process should they want to form a union.
In Maryland, library workers don’t fall into a category where current laws or codes are applicable. Therefore, the General Assembly needs to pass a bill into law to outline a pathway. Some library systems have successfully navigated a process, but it’s been on a county-by-county basis.
WILL PROPOSED LEGISLATION REQUIRE LIBRARIES TO UNIONIZE?
NO. Any proposed legislation will seek to efficiently provide a process for interested library workers to navigate. As with other labor laws, library workers will still need to provide sufficient interest for an election, then a majority of the effective workers need to vote yes for union representation.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The most important thing you can do to assist library workers is let your elected state representatives know that you want them to support this legislation. Find contact information for your Senator and Delegate here.
And, next time you’re in your local library branch, let the staff members know you support them having a voice at work.
The Need for Legislation
In the past, county library employees worked to pass enabling legislation on a county-by-county basis. With the growing interest in unionizing, this approach is inefficient. It wastes law-makers’ time and tax payers’ dollars.
Looking towards the 2024 legislative session, library staff are teaming up with a coalition of labor leaders to pass one piece of legislation to apply to all currently unorganized county library systems. Staff will not be required to organize, but the process will be there if there’s interest.
Having a Voice
Maryland library workers provide a valuable service to communities across the state. Even during the COVID pandemic, library staff from every county stepped up to be part of the coping and recovery effort.
From online inquiries and programming to curbside pick-up and in-branch assistance, library workers did what was asked, but lacked a voice in the process. Beyond the pandemic, they want their frontline experience to be considered in the decision-making process. Being able to form a union will provide them the means to do so.
MD Public LIbrary Systems
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