Baltimore County library workers deserve right to form a union
Baltimore County Public Library employees are passionate about improving the quality of life in our community. The pandemic has been challenging, but they adapted to provide quality remote and contactfree services and deliver educational enrichment activities for children. The library has been serving the public at a limited capacity since last fall.
Baltimore County delegation members in the Maryland General Assembly can show their appreciation for these dedicated Baltimore County library employees by supporting Senate Bill 138. The bill would give them the right to form a union, a voice in the workplace and a chance to bargain for the working conditions they deserve (“Baltimore County librarians seek to unionize through legislation that’s going before General Assembly,” Jan. 12).
BCPL employees have sacrificed to take care of our community during this pandemic crisis. But not all employees have the protections to keep them safe during this pandemic. In the process of maintaining this vital community service, some employees in the library system contracted COVID-19.
Yet, almost half of the library staff don’t have access to health care, vision or dental insurance. Imagine the fear that some of BCPL staff deal with every day by not having employer health insurance. The desire to join a union reflects how management has failed to safeguard their employees.
BCPL employees want a say in their future and an avenue to address workplace concerns. They face inconsistent workplace policies and unreliable communication. The pandemic environment amplifies these challenges.
They reached out to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to resolve these challenges. These employees simply demand safe working conditions while they serve the Baltimore County community. Library employees in neighboring Prince George’s and Montgomery counties already have the right to bargain collectively.
We are disappointed that the BCPL Board of Trustees hired lobbyists to silence library staff and advocate against their right to collective bargaining. The campaign waged by the trustees is more than an effort to deny BCPL employees rights. In fact, their efforts weaken democracy in our state and our county. The Baltimore County delegation should send a resounding message that Baltimore County won’t tolerate the mistreatment of our heroic library staff.
Please support the people who helped our beloved community cope during this pandemic. I urge Baltimore County lawmakers to help give a voice to our Baltimore County Public Library employees by voting “Yes” on Senate Bill 138.
Media should stop attacking Hogan
The media in Baltimore has been beating the anti-Gov. Larry Hogan drum since the start of this pandemic on his handling of the crisis, making statements like “he needs to do this” and “he should do that,” but offering very few suggestions on how to do what everyone knows must be done: Vaccinate everyone. Easier said than done, folks.
The local politicians piled on with their “he’s unfair accusations.” The biggest problem seems to be how to get people to mass sites who have no way to get there and how to make appointments for them.
Why don’t the folks complaining get together and devise a way to get these citizens without means to get to sites a method to help them get there. The city has many vehicles. The city has the means and personnel to arrange appointments through social services, local churches, welfare offices and the persons coordinating the mass vaccination sites.
I am not a big fan of many local political people, but I’ll give Governor Hogan an A+ for his efforts and leadership during this crisis. It was not perfect, but neither are the results of any political individual in Maryland. If he was a Democrat the media would be praising him to no end, but the media should remember that he was elected governor twice in a heavily Democratic state — not an easy task here in Maryland, so a lot of Democratic people must think he is doing a good job.
My suggestion is for the media people, particularly The Baltimore Sun folks, and the local politicians to quit criticizing and start doing something to solve the problems.