Northwestern Library Workers Launch Unionization Drive

EVANSTON, IL — Library workers at Northwestern University on Tuesday launched a unionization drive, with dozens of employees and their supporters marching across the university's Evanston campus to deliver a letter to administrators.

Signed by more than 80 employees of Northwestern's libraries, the letter said negotiating collectively would give workers "a seat at the table to help create an inclusive, transparent, and thriving workplace which values staff well-being and in which we can sustain and enhance the teaching and research mission of the university."

The employees said "years of austerity" prior to the pandemic have left them overworked — without a "true cost of living raise," pandemic hazard pay or internal mobility — and facing performance evaluations that "often do not result in equitable acknowledgement and compensation," as library leadership make decisions "without transparency or accountability."

Library Assistant Jill Waycie said unionizing would give workers the power to push for transparency and a say in hiring practices.

“In 2020, Northwestern had enough money to support all workers during the pandemic," Waycie said in an announcement from the union. "We were furloughed, had retirement benefits cut, and in some cases, laid off."

The library workers have officially filed their intent to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board and asked university officials to voluntarily recognize their bargaining unit, or at least to remain neutral in their efforts to join Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, according to union representatives.

Local 73 currently represents custodial workers at Northwestern, having negotiated a contract that runs through 2023 that gradually raises starting wages to $17.39 per hour, with $25.38 per hour for employees with more than two and a half years on the job.

In May 2020, the university furloughed 250 staff members, announcing that the pandemic had left it with an anticipated $90 million shortfall. At the end of the fiscal year, university officials announced a surplus of more than $83 million.

Michael Babinec, a library worker, said in a statement that he wanted to be able to negotiate a contract with better terms for workers in case of another crisis.

“Northwestern declared furloughs and layoffs without giving us a chance to support each other with donated leave or similar measures that other institutions offered, then discovered a surplus but didn’t hire back those laid off," Babinec said.

A university spokesperson has yet to respond to a request for comment and inquiries regarding the number of past and present library employees. Any information received will be added here.

Drew Clower, a library assistant, said that being asked to do more work for no additional pay or recognition during a pandemic was exhausting.

“After the furloughs, my department of 25 went down to six coworkers. We were expected to provide essential services and create new services, too," Clower said in a statement. "The University praised our sacrifices, but I didn’t want to be a sacrifice–I wanted respect and pay for work performed. But the thanks we got was only at my department’s effort—a finger puppet and snacks.”

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