WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON?
This December, union members were presented with a Summary of Proposed Settlement between NYPL and Local 1930, which outlines the proposed changes to our Working Conditions contract (also known as a “Unit Contract”). President Allman has emailed this document to all members, but please email RoseRankAndFile@gmail.com if you have not yet received this document.
WE ARE ONLY VOTING ON OUR WORKING CONDITIONS
When we receive our ballots asking us to vote “YES” or “NO”, we are only casting our votes on points five through twelve. How we vote on our Working Conditions (points five through twelve) has no bearing on the first four points of the Settlement and has no effect on our raises or wages. Confusingly, the first four points of the document are only re-stating what we have already voted on in the DC 37 city-wide economic agreement (https://www.dc37.net/dc37contracts/economic).
WE ARE NOT VOTING ON WAGE INCREASES
OUR WAGE INCREASES FROM THE ECONOMIC AGREEMENT WILL NOT CHANGE, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU VOTE
WHY SHOULD I VOTE NO? WE’D LOSE TOO MUCH AND GAIN TOO LITTLE
Here’s what will happen if the Proposed Settlement passes…
1. Annual Leave Cap for newer library workers
If passed, the proposed settlement would impose an annual leave (AL) cap for any union member hired on or after January 1, 2023. Any annual leave accrued beyond the cap must be used by December 31st of the calendar year it is earned or be moved to Sick Leave, which is only paid out at 15% upon retirement.
NYPL tried to impose an AL cap on all union members in 2021, but we turned that down by voting NO. Even though this current proposal would only impose an AL cap on some of our members, we should vote NO again, and here’s why.
This cap will divide and weaken our union by creating groups of members with different interests and priorities. Over time, it will make it easier for NYPL to impose an AL cap on all members. The more we accept these divisions now, the more NYPL can pit us against each other in future negotiations, eroding what favorable working conditions we do have, piece by piece.
We have also been told that the library hopes the cap will “encourage” us to take our annual leave rather than letting it accrue. But due to chronic understaffing and prioritization of AL approval for those with higher title seniority at worksites, many of us are unable to use AL in the first place. We are being asked to give up AL accruals with no assurance that members will be able to take AL.
No AL cap for anyone. We know that once we give away our benefits to appease management—many whose salaries are at least two or three times higher than ours—we weaken our Local and open ourselves up to worse working conditions.
2. Dangerously high THI levels
If passed, the proposed settlement would only reduce the current temperature-humidity index (THI) threshold in the branches from 90° and 44% humidity to 89° and 41% humidity. Anyone who has worked in those conditions knows that this reduction is NOT ENOUGH. And with worsening climate change, this minimal reduction in THI will practically guarantee staff will often be forced to work at the highest allowable temperatures during warmer months.
NYPL is willing to make us work in uncomfortable, unhealthy, and potentially deadly conditions. Instead of accepting this situation, we should negotiate to have the library replace broken and antiquated HVAC systems, and set THI at levels that guarantee our health and safety.
3. Losing too much in exchange for too little
If passed, the proposed settlement would add an additional floating holiday, but only for members that already don’t have two. Additionally, the floating holiday would only be granted after 5 years (for staff who were hired in 2023 and beyond), or after 8 years (for staff who were hired between July 1, 2004 and December 31, 2022.
If passed, the proposed settlement would also codify the elimination of the “new hire rate” in our contract. But this does not represent a sizable gain, only a confirmation that NYPL won’t go back on what we’ve already been given when the library couldn’t attract new workers during the pandemic.
Neither of these gains are worth hundreds of hours of lost AL, the continued inability of staff to be able to take AL due to low staffing levels, and the difficulty of working in such high temperatures and humidity. And members that have been here a decade and more get absolutely nothing from this contract.
If we are being asked to give so much, we should at least get things we’ve needed for years. Bonus pay for language skills. Scheduled work from home days. A larger focus on staff safety at branches. A return to pre-2004 AL accumulation. Paid parental leave. And more.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? OUTREACH AND FEEDBACK!
In addition to voting, encourage your fellow Local 1930 siblings to VOTE NO. We encourage all members to do outreach and talk to your coworkers about our working conditions and our union. Once you’ve talked to coworkers, RRF invites you to let us know how it went and what you learned by completing the Coworker Outreach Form at bit.ly/RRFVoteNo2023Outreach.
Especially if you’ve never engaged with your union siblings on labor topics in the workplace, please see the document “An Organizing Conversation” from our friends at Labor Notes, which can be viewed at https://www.labornotes.org/sites/default/files/22AnOrganizingConversation_0.pdf.
As always, please email RoseRankAndFile@gmail.com with any questions!
Mail your ballot by Dec 24th* and vote NO
VOTE NO: Reaffirm to the library that we are not giving up our AL, or the AL of our future coworkers. The library needs to make meaningful efforts to address the underlying issues that are creating high AL accrual in the first place.
VOTE NO: Show our union leadership that we want and deserve more: a safe workplace where staff is not required to work in unbearable heat and humidity.
VOTE NO: Send our experienced negotiators back to the table with a mandate to fight for a contract that includes meaningful gains for union membership.
*Your ballot must be received by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) by 9AM, Dec 29th to be counted!
Please see bit.ly/RRF2021ALMOA for more information on the 2021 rejection of the AL MOA.
At the October 17th General Membership Meeting, members were given the impression that some kind of enforcement measure would be explored to ensure that members would be able to take their AL. But at the December 12th General Membership Meeting, we were advised that no such formal enforcement measure will be taken.