APLE General Membership Meeting Minutes Sept. 17, 2021
Officers Present: Steve Nichols, Teresa Alvarado, David Lutz, Michelle Gasser, Sally Sherman-Weckerlin, Carlye Seybold, John Cook
Total Meeting Attendance: 25
Meeting started at 7:04pm.
Officer Reports
Steve has stepped in as co-chair after Brooke Cox became an assistant manager. Carlye Seybold has stepped in as treasurer.
There is an open trustee position. Responsibilities include providing food for meetings, meeting with APLE members if needed, meeting with other APLE officers. Email Teresa or Steve if you are interested.
Welcome back! Our last meeting was in May. We have some new librarians in the system that are unsure of what the union does. Be sure to fill them in or send them to an officer if they have questions.
Old Business
Some positions have been filled, including West Toledo, two Computers and Media, and South. We are still short. The co-chairs will keep pushing HR to hire new people. We need enough people to cover the hours we have, let alone expanded hours.
Where regionals are concerned, there is no clear idea of expectations. Maybe having assistants will help clarify what needs to be done.
We have gone back to mass as part of COVID protocols. Not much else is being added. A question was asked about masks in programs to Jason. They won’t be required. If you have any concerns, bring them to Teresa and Steve. Program attendance has been slow at some branches and others have large numbers.
New Business
Contract Negotiation Process from David Lutz: First step, officers review survey results. Chairs and negotiators will start drafting new language. APLE will send a letter of intent to the library and the state. Then, review draft and language with Emilio Ramirez, TAAP president. Current contract ends Oct. 21. We will begin talks as soon as there is an agreement. Once negotiations start, they set up ground rules. No one can say anything outside the room once negotiations start. Remember, we are trying to get the best deal that we can. We will pass the new draft to the HR negotiations team, headed by Jeff Godzak. We pass the draft back and forth to discuss deals. After negotiations, members will vote on the contract.
Survey Summary: over 90% responded to the survey. Steps and hours were important issues, as well as filling positions. Remember, you only have to be at the branch with enough time to open it. You can have water at the desk. Managers should be keeping to the contract. Some APLE staff report being micromanaged by their managers.
Hours: No new information from library or Cathy Bartel. We might hear something in October. (Jason mentioned during Town Hall that the board may vote on the new hours in October). Three APLE members sat down with Cathy to talk about hours and ideas.
If you are having issues with leave, talk to Teresa or Steve. There is a question of when to use sick leave or personal.
Open Floor
Staff are being asked to work alone at festivals. Is the contract being followed for breaks and lunch?
There was a question about bereavement and if there was a limit. There is no limit. Members are getting pushback for bereavement leave. May be asked for an obituary.
Members talked about the assistant manager being taken from Sanger and not from Sylvania. They brought concerns to the regional manager and were then confronted by the manager about what they told in confidence to the regional manager. Why aren’t regional managers checking in with front line staff about management? What is the role of regional managers if they aren’t fixing issues at the branches? Andrea Francis is above the regional managers. Then Cathy Bartel.
Internal customer service is still an issue. Response time is not always great with emails.
Next General Membership meeting will be in November.
Ratification meeting will be in person and APLE members will be notified when that meeting will take place.
Meeting adjourned at 7:56pm.
APLE General Membership Meeting Minutes Sept. 17, 2021
Officers Present: Steve Nichols, Teresa Alvarado, David Lutz, Michelle Gasser, Sally Sherman-Weckerlin, Carlye Seybold, John Cook
Total Meeting Attendance: 25
Meeting started at 7:04pm.
Officer Reports
Steve has stepped in as co-chair after Brooke Cox became an assistant manager. Carlye Seybold has stepped in as treasurer.
There is an open trustee position. Responsibilities include providing food for meetings, meeting with APLE members if needed, meeting with other APLE officers. Email Teresa or Steve if you are interested.
Welcome back! Our last meeting was in May. We have some new librarians in the system that are unsure of what the union does. Be sure to fill them in or send them to an officer if they have questions.
Old Business
Some positions have been filled, including West Toledo, two Computers and Media, and South. We are still short. The co-chairs will keep pushing HR to hire new people. We need enough people to cover the hours we have, let alone expanded hours.
Where regionals are concerned, there is no clear idea of expectations. Maybe having assistants will help clarify what needs to be done.
We have gone back to mass as part of COVID protocols. Not much else is being added. A question was asked about masks in programs to Jason. They won’t be required. If you have any concerns, bring them to Teresa and Steve. Program attendance has been slow at some branches and others have large numbers.
New Business
Contract Negotiation Process from David Lutz: First step, officers review survey results. Chairs and negotiators will start drafting new language. APLE will send a letter of intent to the library and the state. Then, review draft and language with Emilio Ramirez, TAAP president. Current contract ends Oct. 21. We will begin talks as soon as there is an agreement. Once negotiations start, they set up ground rules. No one can say anything outside the room once negotiations start. Remember, we are trying to get the best deal that we can. We will pass the new draft to the HR negotiations team, headed by Jeff Godzak. We pass the draft back and forth to discuss deals. After negotiations, members will vote on the contract.
Survey Summary: over 90% responded to the survey. Steps and hours were important issues, as well as filling positions. Remember, you only have to be at the branch with enough time to open it. You can have water at the desk. Managers should be keeping to the contract. Some APLE staff report being micromanaged by their managers.
Hours: No new information from library or Cathy Bartel. We might hear something in October. (Jason mentioned during Town Hall that the board may vote on the new hours in October). Three APLE members sat down with Cathy to talk about hours and ideas.
If you are having issues with leave, talk to Teresa or Steve. There is a question of when to use sick leave or personal.
Open Floor
Staff are being asked to work alone at festivals. Is the contract being followed for breaks and lunch?
There was a question about bereavement and if there was a limit. There is no limit. Members are getting pushback for bereavement leave. May be asked for an obituary.
Members talked about the assistant manager being taken from Sanger and not from Sylvania. They brought concerns to the regional manager and were then confronted by the manager about what they told in confidence to the regional manager. Why aren’t regional managers checking in with front line staff about management? What is the role of regional managers if they aren’t fixing issues at the branches? Andrea Francis is above the regional managers. Then Cathy Bartel.
Internal customer service is still an issue. Response time is not always great with emails.
Next General Membership meeting will be in November.
Ratification meeting will be in person and APLE members will be notified when that meeting will take place.
Meeting adjourned at 7:56pm.