FAQ

The Maryland public library system was created by state statute; however the employees are neither state nor county workers. This means that the applicable labor codes for the counties or state do not offer library workers a pathway to form a union and collectively bargain. Because the state legislature passed the law that formed the library, they must also pass a law that defines the process to enable the employees to form a union, should they wish to do so. In the past, this process has been done on a county-by-county basis. Proposed legislation will allow for a more efficient use of time and resources by including all currently unorganized library systems in one piece of legislation.

No, it does not. The bill only defines the process that must be followed if library workers from a particular county are interested in forming a union. Once the law is passed, library workers must proceed like other workers in the United States — establish sufficient interest, file for an election and win the election by a majority of the unit employees voting yes for union representation. 

Forming a union is a right protected by the Constitution and requires a majority of the workers to vote a union into place. Management does not have to endorse the idea, but they do have to respect the employees’ choice. Management is prohibited by law from intimidating or retaliating against workers for want a union and is legally obligated to recognize the employees’ exclusive representing organization (union), once one has been certified.

Libraries are a public service largely funded through state and county budgets, thus they are part of the public-sector work force. In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States issued the Janus decision declaring public-sector employees cannot be compelled to join a union or pay any administrative costs as a condition of employment. Unions are stronger, and serve the unit better, with an active membership. So no, you do not have to join the union, but the union will be stronger and function better with higher levels of participation.

Unions work in the best interest of their membership, so they can be an advocacy partner in the pursuit of funding or programs to benefit the library and the communities they serve. Unions give front-line library worker a voice and platform to share their experiences and the community feedback to make the library a better institution.