Bill allowing library employees to unionize heads to Senate
Baltimore County senators will decide today whether to support a bill that would authorize county library employees to unionize.
If passed, the legislation will authorize around 600 county library employees to collectively bargain and join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a union representing nearly 647,000 employees across 200 industries.
Library employees have sought to unionize for two years, said Bridget Fitzgerald, a union organizer working with the library’s professional staff, and want health care benefits for part-time employees, who make up 48% of staff.
Library employees have cited a lack of consistent centralized communication from administration across the system’s 19 library branches.
Part-time librarians do not receive pension contributions, dental or health care coverage through the library system.
A library spokeswoman said their benefits include accrued sick leave and two paid holidays.
The bill’s counterpart, sponsored by Democratic Del. Cathi Forbes, has cleared the House with amendments clarifying employer rights, which employees may be included in a union and establishing a union petitioning process.
The Senate delegation is scheduled to take up the bill at 9 a.m. Tuesday during a virtual meeting that will be streamed on YouTube.
The Senate version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Shelly Hettleman, a Democrat.
Fitzgerald said she’s confident the details of the House bill have been successfully ironed out and the Senate version is poised to pass.
Although library staff are state employees, negotiations for health care benefits would go through Baltimore County’s Health Insurance Division, which determines medical, prescription, dental, vision and other benefits for full-time employees of county government, the Baltimore County Public School System, Community College of Baltimore County, county Revenue
Authority and Baltimore County Public Library.
Library employees in three of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions — Montgomery, Howard and Prince George’s counties — have sought, and been granted, the right to unionize, although Howard County librarians have yet to form a union.
The library Board of Trustees voted in February to hire lobbyists from Cornerstone Government Affairs, a Washington-based consultant, to work with state legislators on amending the bills.
The library system is paying $6,000 per month for its services, library spokeswoman Erica Palmisano said. The library system
director and the board of trustees have both said they support the bill.
Because local library systems are state agencies, the Maryland Attorney General’s office advises that collective bargaining be authorized through state legislation rather than a local charter amendment, which could be challenged in court.