Librarians and Library Staff

AFT represents public library workers across the country, in separate municipal library bargaining units, and as a part of school and university bargaining units. AFT also represents librarians in state libraries—including the Illinois State Library, and the Connecticut State Library—and in other state agencies: Corrections, Education, Mental Health and Developmental Disability units to name a few. Library staff are organizing with the AFT to protect their work, their professions, and the people they serve.

Photo of library shelves. Photo credit: Thi Soares/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Ohio

Union busting in Ohio public libraries is insulting and wasteful

Carol Veach, a library associate and member of Worthington (Ohio) Public Libraries United, describes how the employees at her library got together to form a union, so they could add important benefits like paid parental leave―benefits that have improved morale, recruitment and retention. Their leadership and that of other public librarians in Ohio, despite some shameful union busting, brought them together under the umbrella of the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the AFT. This column in AFT Voices is adapted from Veach’s op-ed in the Ohio Capital Journal. Photo credit: Thi Soares/iStock/Getty Images Plus

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Library Staff Association

The Massachusetts Library Staff Association represents more than 500 public librarians in 34 municipalities across the state of Massachusetts.

MLSA members are taking action

CALIFORNIA

Claremont librarians, library staff choose CFT as their union

The librarians and library staff at The Claremont Colleges Services overwhelmingly chose the California Federation of Teachers in a union representational election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.

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