Employees Announce Intent To Unionize At Oak Lawn Library

OAK LAWN, IL — Nearly 80 full- and part-time employees of the Oak Lawn Public Library have announced their intent to unionize claiming their concerns about re-opening in the pandemic were not being heard by the library board. The employees — including librarians, library assistants, library associations and pages — are seeking representation by AFSCME Council 31.

The library administration and board members did not wish to comment on rank-and-file employees’ plan to unionize, which reportedly came as a surprise. The Oak Lawn library board is scheduled to meet for its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15. It is not known if the board will address the unionization plans.

>>> Oak Lawn Library Board Faces $90K In Lost Revenue, New Leadership

In July, long-time executive director Jim Deiters resigned due to ongoing disagreements with the board. The library faces a $90,000 budget shortfall after four months of closure during the coronavirus shutdown.

Some employees said they were unaware that a new security guard died from coronavirus in April after only a few weeks on the job. The security guard had not been at work for several days prior to when she tested positive for COVID-19.

During the shutdown, hourly staff worked from home. Library employees were able to buy another week of time to prepare the building for reopening July 13, such as installing hand sanitizer stations and safety shields, when the board signaled that it was time to reopen. A few weeks later, Deiters submitted his resignation.

“By coming together in our union, library employees will have a strong voice in the decision that affect us,” library assistant Eric Guzman said in a statement. “Unfortunately we’ve seen management rush to reopen in this pandemic without enough attention to safety, along with cuts to staff and the programs that library patrons care about. We want to speak up for ourselves and for the services we provide to the community.”

An open letter to library employees began hitting mailboxes over the weekend, containing union cards. Employees eligible for unionization, including, full-time salaried librarians, associates and assistants as well as part-time hourly employees and pages, are being encouraged to sign the cards, which will be submitted to the Illinois Labor Relations Board for recognition.

“Unfortunately, reopening during a pandemic seemed to be more important to the board than the safety of patrons and staff,” the letter to employees stated. “We have seen cutbacks in staff and in resources for the programs we care so deeply about. Rather than include dedicated staff in important decisions that affect us and our patrons, especially during this time of crisis, management made their decisions without us.”

The letter went on to explain, employers resist employees’ efforts to organize because “they prefer to hold all the power.”

“Once we are union, we will negotiate — as equals — our wages, benefits, and working conditions … We urge [the] Oak Lawn Public Library Board to respect our decision and work collaboratively with us at the bargaining table. We call on them to respect our legally protected right to organize a Union and not use taxpayer funds on anti-union communications or meetings.”

Interim library director Kathy Szott confirmed that merit raises were canceled on May 1, with the hopes of reinstating them in May 2021. Library employees received cost-of-living increases on Jan. 1.

“All library employees were paid while at home during the stay-at-home order through May 31,” Szott said by email. “Some employees worked from home, if able, while others did not. The library did lay off several substitute employees as there was no longer a need for them. These employees work minimal hours each year filling in for things such as vacations, if needed. “

Union organizer Mark Renard said when a majority of library employees sign the cards, the employees will petition the state labor board for recognition. AFSCME also represents Homewood Public Library employees.

“There is frustration overall among the employees,” Renard said. “The board is making decisions with no experience or background in the library world.”

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents more than 3,000 library employees across Illinois. It claims to be the state’s largest union of public-service workers and "a leading voice for all working families."