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AN ELECTION in which some 350 Sno-Isle library employees will choose whether to join the Council 2 ranks is being held up by a dispute over who is eligible to join the union.
The largest group in dispute is that of 60 “substitute” employees. Council 2 wants to include them in the unit seeking to join the union. The library administration wants them to be excluded.
Another 30 employees are in dispute, bringing to 90 the number of disputed positions.
A “pre-election conference “ attended by the Sno-Isle Library Administration, Council 2 and members of the Public Employment Relations Commission (perc) was held on November 12 to determine whether agreement could be reached on the make-up of the bargaining unit to be included in the union election. Agreement was not reached. As a result, a formal hearing is set for January 26 and 27, 2010.
The dispute over the eligibility of employees is not the only hurdle being faced by library staff who want to join Council 2.
“The Sno-Isle Library Administration is running an unprecedented campaign to dissuade the employees from joining Council 2,” says Director of Organizing Bill Keenan.
Among the allegations is that the union will take control of employees.
“Fear not, the union will never take control,” says a memorandum drawn up by the Sno-Isle Employees Union Organizing Committee.
“When we succeed in our election we will, however, form our own Sno-Isle employees Local Union, with our own elected officers (who are Sno-Isle employees) and our own by-laws.
“We are the union and, yes, for the first time in our history we will have a real voice, working with management on all matters concerning our wages, benefits and conditions of employment.”
Keenan points out that Council 2 represents almost all the major library systems in Washington State. A recent affiliate is the Timberland Library Employees Association, with more than 300 employees.
“In the vicinity of the Sno-Isle Library System, we represent the Skagit County Library System, the Bellingham Library System, the Everett Library System, the Seattle Public Library and the King County Library System.”
