Harford County Public Library Employees Want a Union
Harford County Public Library (HCPL) employees work hard to provide a valuable service to the residents of Harford County. Whether it’s creating programs to engage community members, assisting patrons using the computers and printers, or helping locate resources, HCPL staff perform their jobs with kindness and a smile.
Library staff love their jobs, but want a pathway to make the work environment better. Having a union gives HCPL employees a voice at work and an opportunity to negotiate their wages, hours, benefits and working conditions. They will have a seat at the table and a voice in the decision-making process. That input will provide an opportunity to elevate working conditions in an institution HCPL employees feel called to serve.
If you’ve never been in a union before, or don’t know much about them, there are likely a ton of questions. When HCPL employees first approached the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), there was a lot of information they wanted to know. Below are some of the questions they asked, together with other information to help HCPL employees make an a decision about supporting the campaign.
HOW DO WE FORM A UNION? Because the library system was created by the Maryland General Assembly, the General Assembly had to pass legislation to authorize collective bargaining rights. The IAM and HCPL Employees worked with other library employees and labor organizations in Maryland to help pass the Library Workers Empowerment Act (LWEA), so the legislative hurdle has been cleared.
Our next steps according to the LWEA is to demonstrate there is sufficient support for union representation. Staff show that support by submitting an electronic union authorization card (A-card). If more than 30% sign cards, we can file for an election. If more than 50% sign cards, we can have our union automatically recognized.
WILL I GET IN TROUBLE FOR SIGNING A CARD? It is your legal right to be part of a union; therefore, an employer is not allowed to intimidate or discipline you for exercising that right. If they do, tell us. We can take steps to stop it.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SIGN A CARD? The union authorization card (A-Card) is the accepted way to show there is enough interest within a group of employees to justify an election. For this campaign, the A-Card is online. By submitting an A-card you are indicating three things:
- You want to have the IAM be your union (exclusive representative).
- You want to be a member of the IAM once union representation is certified.
- You are authorizing dues deduction after you and your coworkers successfully ratify a contract. MEMBERS DO NOT PAY DUES UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE A LEGALLY BINDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT IN PLACE.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SIGN A CARD? Cards are collected until we have enough to file for an election or union recognition. An independent representative from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) will perform a confidential comparison of A-cards to a current employee roster. When sufficient interest is determined, the FMCS representative will either direct a secret ballot election be held or grant recognition. MANAGEMENT NEVER SEES THE CARDS OR RECEIVES THE NAMES OF CARD SIGNERS.
WHAT IS A SECRET BALLOT UNION REPRESENTATION ELECTION? A secret ballot election allows employees to vote “yes” or “no” for union representation such that there is no identifying information on the ballot. An independent third-party election judge will be appointed by FMCS. The election will be done either by mail (ballot mailed to employees’ homes) or in-person (voting done at the branches on specified dates/times). A simple majority (50%+1) of yes votes is required to win union representation. No one will know how individual employees voted, only the results of the votes counted.
HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE? According to the LWEA, 15 days after an FMCS representative is selected, a pre-election meeting is held to iron out the election procedures and set an election date. The exact timeline will be impacted by the method of election (mail vs. in-person), but generally an election occur approximately one month after filing the petition.
WHAT IS A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (CBA)? Often called “a contract,” a CBA defines the wages, hours, benefits and working conditions for a specified group of workers. Its contents are negotiated between management and a negotiating committee working on behalf of the employees. Once a tentative agreement has been negotiated, union members are given the opportunity to vote on its acceptance. Once a CBA is accepted, it’s signed by both parties and becomes legally binding until it expires and/or a new contract is negotiated.
WHO IS ON THE NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE? It’s important that the negotiating committee be comprised of union representatives experienced with the law and negotiation processes, as well as employees who understand the work and how policies playout in the workplace. For this reason, both IAM representatives and HCPL employees (volunteers or elected) meet with management to present proposals and discuss terms.
WHAT GOES INTO THE CONTRACT? In general, the contract will define who is covered by the contract (the unit), as well as define the policies and procedures that govern the wages, hours, benefits and working conditions for those covered employees. Policy and procedure preferences are determined by the unit. The union will circulate a survey to unit employees to solicit feedback on what your priorities are and what changes you want guaranteed in contract language. Survey results are used to write proposals to be negotiated into the contract. The committee will do their best to accomplish as many of the priorities as possible.
WHAT IF WE DON’T LIKE THE CONTRACT? The spirit of negotiations dictates that neither side gets everything they want, but it also allows for both sides to get some of the improvements they desire. Negotiating these improvements into a contract provides a legally binding guarantee that those improvements will not change unless further negotiations occur. The negotiating committee will do everything they can to negotiate the most improvements determined by the unit’s priorities, but the unit does have the final say through a ratification vote. Once a contract is tentatively agreed upon, members are given the opportunity to vote to accept or reject it.
DO EMPLOYEES HAVE TO JOIN THE UNION? No. In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that public sector employees do not have to join a union, or pay union dues as a condition of employment (Janus vs AFSCME, 2018). If you submit an A-card, you are committing to being a dues paying member for one year following the ratification of an agreement.
WHY SHOULD WE PAY DUES IF WE DON’T HAVE TO? Density is very important when it comes to union membership. The more individuals who choose to join the union, the more power workers have at the bargaining table to negotiate better wages and benefits with their employer. We typically find that employees find value in union representation and the security of a contract, so they choose to invest in the process through membership.
IF SOMEONE DOESN’T PAY UNION DUES DO THEY STILL GET THE BENEFITS OF THE CONTRACT? An employee who chooses to not be a member of the union must still be legally represented by the union. They are covered by the contract and enjoy the same wages and benefits as union members. In addition, our union must represent non-members, including pursuing grievances and contract violations on their behalf. Those actions use vital resources paid for with union dues. When there are insufficient resources, the union’s ability to resolve issues through some representational avenues could be negatively impacted. Again, union density correlates to representation ability and strength at the bargaining table. After one contract, employees see the difference and often choose membership.
ARE THERE BENEFITS MEMBERS HAVE THAT NON-MEMBERS DO NOT? Yes. Non-members have no rights of IAM membership beyond the contract. Non-members cannot attend IAM membership functions, be a candidate for any IAM position including union steward and cannot vote in any IAM elections. Non-members are prohibited from participating in programs open only to union members like Union Plus discounts. Most importantly, only members are permitted to participate in membership surveys, monthly meetings and negotiation activities. Non-members are definitely not allowed to take part in a contract ratification vote.
HOW MUCH ARE UNION DUES? If HCPL staff are successful at forming their union, they will be members of IAM Local 4538 with union members from the Baltimore County Public Library. Currently the dues structure based on 24 pay periods will be:
- Employees working over 30 hours per week and making over $20 per hour pay the full dues amount of $67.74 ($33.87 per pay period).
- Anyone working over 30 hours per week, but making $20 or less, will pay the reduced rate of $40 per month ($20/pay period).
- Anyone working under 30 hours per week but more than 20 hours in a week, will pay the reduced amount of $30 per month ($15/pay period).
- Anyone working 20 hours or less in a week will pay the reduced rate of $20 per month
IF WE HAVE A UNION, DO WE HAVE TO GO ON STRIKE? No. In fact, it is illegal for public-sector employees to strike in the state of Maryland, so striking is not an option. Should negotiation efforts fail, employees can avail themselves of mediator intervention and arbitration. In fact, the LWEA provides for tentative agreements (TA) to be reached by February 1st in order to encourage timely, successful bargaining. If there is not a TA by February 1st of the bargaining year, an FMCS mediator is to be requested.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE UNION REPRESENTATION? It means always having someone looking out for you and helping you resolve issues with management. If there is a violation of the contract, your union can assist by resolving the issue through discussions and/or the grievance procedure. If an employee is called into a discussion with management, employees can exercise their right to representation to make sure they are protected.
WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION? It is the right of unionized employees to refuse to participate in a management meeting or investigation without a union steward being present, if that employee believes the meeting could result in discipline or affect their working conditions. A represented employee simply has to ask for their steward and the meeting is halted until the union steward can be present.
WHAT CAN INTERESTED EMPLOYEES DO TO HELP THE UNION EFFORT? The most important thing employees can do to support the effort is to sign an A-card. An electronic card can be submitted online. Employees can also talk to their coworkers and share their reasons for wanting a union.
Contact Organizer Bridget Fitzgerald, 301-213-4189 or bfitzgerald@iamaw.org to ask question and/or offer assistance.