[Publib] the topic is now really firing people (or not)

[Miriam Bobkoff]

At 03:18 PM 11/11/2009, Sue Kamm wrote:
>And even without a bargaining unit, civil service rules make it 
>difficult to terminate an employee once s/he passes probation.

Yes, that is certainly how it worked in my former place of work, a 
public library that was an arm of city government. This was true both 
before and after there came to be a union. It's incredibly hard to 
get rid of an employee unless you can realize you need to shed them 
before they are past their probationary period, and even so you have 
to document document document with exhausting ferocity.

Not all libraries have the same structure, and I don't know how it is 
in libraries that are independent tax districts, run by a board, or 
part of consortia. Probably the rules differ greatly even in 
different cities and states, but for sure if it is civil service 
there ARE rules.

Miriam B.
Peninsula College Library and
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Library
   in Port Angeles