[Publib] Unions-sources

[Kathleen de la Peña McCook]

http://ala-apaunion.pbwiki.com/
http://unionlibrarian.blogspot.com/


===
 Kathleen de la Peña McCook  
http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/mccook
======

On 31 Mar 2008 at 14:38, Rawles-Heiser, Carolyn wrote:

Many public library workplaces are organized, depending on the part 
of the country where you are. It is done by entity--employees of 
a particular library system can vote to unionize and the board or 
whatever the governing body is can vote to recognize the union. 
There is not a national union for librarians or library workers. 
Manyare part of larger organizations such as cities and belong to 
unions such as AFSCME, SEIU, or the Teamsters. My experience is 
that unions are more common among library staff in the West than in 
say, the Midwest, partly because I think public libraries tend to be 
part of local government here rather than independent districts like 
in some parts of the Midwest. But for example in Indiana, where 
libraries are autonomous, the Indianapolis--Marion County and Monroe 
County libraries' staffs recently voted to organize.The powers of 
the union vary by state depending on whether or not the state is a 
"right to work" state or not. 

There are some federal protections for employment, mostly in the area 
of discrimination against protected groups (such as REALLY OLD 
employees to keep beating a dead horse), sexual harrassment, whistle-
blowing, etc. Some states and localities have further protections 
than that afforded by the federal government. However, I think that 
in the absence of discrimination or a collective bargaining unit, 
most employees are considered to be "at will." 

Carolyn 

Carolyn Rawles-Heiser
Library Director
Corvallis--Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR97330



From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-
bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Hillary Webb
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 2:01 PM
To: PUBLIB
Subject: [Publib] Union
Hey all,

Here's a question I don't really have any answer to... Is there a 
union? Have there been any attempts to make a union? If no union, 
then why no union?

Other than a union, are there any levels of job protection?

Thanks!
Hillary