IT SEEMED a reasonable request. When employees of the King County Library System began negotiations last year for a new contract, they asked to be raised to the same level of wages, benefits and working conditions as those of employees at other libraries in Washington state.

Supporting their request was a comprehensive study by Council 2 that showed that the staff at King County Library System received less in these fields than the other library systems in the state.

But library management did not see the request that way.

“The employer responded with some of the most outrageous contract language seen by Council 2 staff,” says Bill Keenan, Council 2’s Director of Organizing. “The language appeared in areas of management rights, the grievance procedure and several other key areas of the contract.”

For example, Keenan adds, the employer’s proposal says that once the contract is signed, no new changes can be negotiated at any time in the period covered by the contract.

As a result, about four months ago members of Local 1857 launched a campaign to issue protest leaflets at branch libraries throughout King County. Since then, members have handed out leaflets every Sunday in front of the branch libraries, talking to library patrons visiting the branches.

The leaflet compares the wages, benefits and employment conditions with those at other libraries. It also includes an explanation of why the employees organized and joined the union.

“Local 1857 members’ main purpose and theme for their organizing efforts was ‘make a choice, gain a voice,’” explains Keenan. “The reason is that they believe that they have little say in the policies, procedures and ideas as far as the way in which the King County Library system is run.”

Members have distributed thousands of leaflets over the last four months. Keenan says the campaign has been successful — many patrons have called the telephone number on the leaflets that asks them to let the King County Library know they support the employees in their efforts.

“The patrons are eager to hear the story because they support the library and the employees who work there,” Keenan adds.
“The King County Library System professes to be the most progressive library in the state. In fact, based on their actions at the bargaining table, they are far from being progressive in labor relations.”

Council 2 has filed two unfair labor practice charges for unfair bargaining on wages and at-will employment in connection with the bargaining of a new contract.

“State law has required for several years that all employees in libraries statewide have to have just-cause termination,” says Keenan.

“But the libraries’ policies and procedures up to now have been at-will termination.

“They claim that just-cause should be a part of the bargaining process. But it is state law.”