Brussels, 8 May 2008: In response to the deepening global food crisis the International Trade Union Confederation has called on governments and world institutions to take far-reaching measures to guarantee food security for all.

”This is an opportunity to completely revamp the failed policies which have led to this crisis, and it is vital that governments and the global institutions do more than just fiddle at the edges of a system which simply isn’t delivering for the world’s people”-- ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.

The Confederation calls on the workers of the world to unite in its ranks, to make of it the instrument needed to call forth a better future for them and for all humanity.

Library union? Hell yes! Monroe County PL Joins AFSCME.

"The union vote, Phi Eskew said, empowered employees with a “permanent voice” in the MCPL decision-making process."

Monroe [IN] County Public Library (MCPL)library workers voted 62-35 to join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME.)

The “business-model” types whose management philosophy has dominated decision making at the community institution in recent years were anything but subtle in their anti-union sentiments.

Oshkosh Librarians Win Contract Arbitration Case

City's library, public works employees win arbitration cases

By Crystal Lindell
of The Northwestern April 30, 2008

Two more city-employee unions — representing library and public works employees — have won contract arbitration cases with the city of Oshkosh.

Negotiations with five of six city-employee unions went to arbitration, with only the police officers union able to agree to a new contract.

The professional union representing City Hall Workers previously won its case and the firefighters and the para-professionals unions still are waiting for rulings. Contracts for all six unions expired in December 2006.

Bill Sitter, president of the AFSCME Local 796, which represents the public works employees, said the main reason the unions that went to arbitration was that the city proposed health insurance premium increases that, in combination with the proposed raises, would have meant less take-home pay for employees.

Because the contracts had to go to a state-sponsored arbitrator, they were winner-take-all and there was no further opportunity for compromises between the two parties.

"I would have much rather have settled this in house and sat down at a table and got it ironed out that way than to go to arbitration," he said.

Under the rulings, both the library employees and the public works employees had the same contract outcome, Sitter said.

The employees will get a 2 pay percent increase each January and a 1 percent increase each July for the entire length of the three-year contract The raises are retroactive to January 2007.

The city offered the union a 2.25 percent increase in 2007, a 2.75 percent increases in 2008 and 2009.

As for health insurance, the decided premiums will mean employees will pay an average of $265 less in premiums over the length of the contract.

City Manager John Fitzpatrick said the additional funding for the union employees who won their cases probably would come from the city's general fund.

Mayor Frank Tower said the city decided to go to arbitration with the other unions because they wouldn't accept the same deal that the police officers got and the city wanted to be fair.

Tower said he's not worried that the arbitration process will create rifts between the city and staff.

"I think ultimately … everyone realizes that at the end of the day you're here to make the city perform, but you sometimes you have to be in situations where you're on opposite sides of the table," he said.

Nashua Public Library Settles Contract

Library union contract approved
By PATRICK MEIGHAN Telegraph Staff
pmeighan@nashuatelegraph.com

NASHUA . April 23, 2008.– The city settled with another union Tuesday, closing the deal on a contract that impacts 33 Nashua Public Library staff members.

The board of aldermen voted 12-0 to approve the contract. Alderman-at-Large Steven Bolton, the board president, abstained. Bolton's wife, Kathy Bolton, is the children's librarian.

Aldermen Paul Chasse Jr. and Mark Cookson were absent.

Speaking during public comments, Carol Eyman, the library's outreach specialist, urged aldermen to approve the contract, noting that the workers' previous contract expired June 30, 2006.About a dozen other library staff members waited quietly in the aldermanic chamber for the board's vote.

Eyman also reminded aldermen that the previous board had rejected the last contract proposal brought before them. The contract that came to the board Tuesday contained no retroactive raises and additional concessions on health insurance premiums and co-pays, she said.

Extending to 2010, the contract gave workers 0 percent raises in the first year, 4 percent each in years two and three and 3.8 percent in year four.

Overall, raises averaged 2.95 percent for the life of the contract, or 3.07 percent compounded, Alderman-at-Large Fred Teeboom said.

The contract will cost the city, in wages and benefits, a total of $1.94 million for this fiscal year. That cost will increase to $2.14 million in the final year of the contract.

Teeboom said he would support the contract because it met city guidelines and fell within the city's spending cap.

UAW Local 2200-Detroit Public Library

Michael Wells is one of 155 UAW-represented librarians working for the Detroit Public Library system at its main facility and 26 neighborhood branches. Local 2200.

AFSCME and Teamsters Support Library Angels

CHICAGO - Thirty library leaders will be honored as ALA-APA Angels at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June. The ALA-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is celebrating five years of service by honoring some of the many people and organizations that have helped it grow and flourish in its missions of providing certification and supporting better salaries.

ALA-APA angels were instrumental in the creation and development of ALA-APA. They represent thousands of library employees who gave their time, energy, ideas and contributions to shape the work that ALA-APA is doing through the Certified Public Library Administrator Program and in advocating for fair pay.

The ALA-APA's Angel Reception will be held from 7:30 - 9 p.m. on Friday, June 27,, in Anaheim, Calif. All are invited to attend to support their colleagues and ALA-APA. Tickets for this fundraising event are $25 and may be purchased online .

ALA-APA Angels:

Patricia Anderson, Montville Township Public Library
Nancy Bolt
Nancy Davenport, District of Columbia Public Library
Diane Fay
Jenna Freedman, Barnard College
Maurice Freedman
Joan Goddard
Arlita Harris, University of North Texas
Nancy Kranich
Michele Leber
Margaret Myers
Dan O'Connor, Rutgers University
David Orenstein, Warren County Community College
Robert Rohlf, Robert H. Rohlf Associates
Patricia Smith, Texas Library Association
Barbara Stripling, New York City Department of Education
Teri Switzer, University of Colorado
Tom Wilding
Denise Zielinski, DuPage Library System

American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) - President Gerald McEntee

Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) members - represented by President Barbara Mates

Better Salaries and Pay Equity Task Force members - represented by
Kathleen de la Pena McCook and Patricia Glass Schuman

Committee on Education members - represented by President Kenley E. Neufeld
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO - President Paul Almeida and Assistant to the President Pamela Wilson

LAMA/PLA/ASCLA Joint Committee on Certification members - represented by Eva Poole and Betty Turock

Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) members - represented by President W. Bede Mitchell

New York Public Library Guild Local 1930 District Council 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO - represented by President Carol Thomas and Treasurer Nina Manning

Public Libraries Association (PLA) members - represented by President Jan Sanders

SirsiDynix Corporation

University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Graduate School of Information and Library Science LEEP Program - represented by Program Director Marianne Steadley

ALA-APA thanks the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for their support of this event.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.
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Get REAL SALARY DATA with the Library Salary Database - http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/salarysurveyform/form.cfm
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Become a CERTIFIED PUBLIC LIBRARY ADMINISTRATOR - http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaapplication.html
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Jenifer Grady, MSLS, MBA, CAE - jgrady@ala.org
Director, American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA)
50 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611
312-280-2424 (o), 312-280-5013 (f)
http://www.ala-apa.org
ALA-APA advocates for improving the Salaries and Status of Library Employees

Mesa Public Schools [AZ] to Eliminate Librarians

There will be no more librarians in the Mesa public schools within three years, according to a new district plan to save money. Aides and other media specialists also will be eliminated under the model that will change the way the Mesa Unified School District operates its libraries.
The media specialists, all of whom are certified teachers, will move back into classrooms. Resource-center specialists, a new position, will oversee school libraries. The specialist will have help depending on the size and type of school.

Nothing on the AEA website yet.

McEntee of AFSCME Calls for Increased Funding for Libraries

McEntee Calls for Increased Funding for Libraries / "Libraries are a Vital Resource During Economic Downturn"


For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Washington, D.C. - Gerald W. McEntee, President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, today called for increased funding for the nation's libraries, noting their importance to communities and workers coping with the downturn in the national economy.

"Our libraries must get the necessary funding to meet the needs of working families," said McEntee. "In economically difficult times,libraries are more important than ever to our communities. Funding our libraries is a critical investment in our future. That is why it is essential that mayors and decision-makers in every community provide library workers with the pay, support and respect that they have earned."

"As the nation feels the pain of the weakening economy, people are turning to their libraries for resources to find employment and public services, to advance their education, and to learn," said McEntee. "AFSCME salutes the library workers who make more than 123,000 libraries across the country happen."

McEntee noted that cutting library budgets has a serious impact on the nation's economic future. "At a time when communities need the resources our nation's libraries provide, too many jurisdictions are taking a knife to library budgets. That is a major mistake, and we are going to fight those budget cuts," McEntee said. "When the economy is in trouble,Americans need their libraries more than ever."

McEntee's call came on National Library Workers Day, a day set aside for communities, schools and universities across the country to celebrate the contributions of librarians and library workers. "Library workers have shown tremendous resiliency during these difficult times. They have adapted to the demands of the digital age, and kept our libraries running smoothly, often on shoestring budgets," he continued.

AFSCME represents more than 10,000 workers in libraries nationwide, more than any other union. AFSCME has been a leading advocate for pay increases for library workers and for funding increases for the public facilities they operate. This year, the union is distributing more than 60,000 bookmarks at libraries nationwide to commemorate the work of librarians and library workers.

Earlier this month, the American Library Association-Allied Professional
Association (ALA-APA) announced that McEntee and AFSCME will be honored as ALA-APA Angels at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June. This honor recognizes AFSCME's efforts to help ALA-APA grow and flourish in its missions of providing certification and supporting better
salaries. New York Public Library Guild Local 1930 of District Council 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO, represented by President Carol Thomas and Treasurer Nina Manning, will also be among those honored as ALA-APA Angels.

###

American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

Jessica Storrs, Research Librarian
Department of Research & Collective Bargaining Services
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees
1625 L St. NW
Washington DC 20036
phone 202.429.1222
fax 202.223.3255
email jstorrs@afscme.org