1 min read

Season 6, Episode 203

AFSCME Local 1454 president discusses library contract negotiations

afscme gray

 

Guest Name:


Sarah Dziunycz

Guest Website:


AFSCME 

Guest Social Media:


Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

LinkedIn

Supportive Documents:


Sarah Dziunycz, President of AFSCME Local 1454, discussed the ongoing contract negotiations for Camden County Library System employees in New Jersey. She highlighted the essential services librarians provide, the significant pay gap compared to recommended minimums and the staffing crisis resulting from inadequate compensation.

Dziunycz emphasized the evolving role of libraries as community resource centers, providing services beyond traditional book lending. Librarians now assist with literacy programs, tax preparation, housing resources and even Narcan distribution. She said that despite their expanded responsibilities, Camden County librarians face a stark $17,500 pay gap compared to the New Jersey Library Association's recommended minimum salary.

The ongoing contract dispute has led to reduced library hours and a staffing crisis. Dziunycz noted that positions remain vacant for months or even over a year, impacting the quality of services provided to the community. She explained that the union has reached an impasse in negotiations, with the county reportedly retaliating against workers for speaking out at commission meetings.

AFSCME's support has been crucial in the ongoing negotiations, providing guidance and resources to the local union. Dziunycz expressed gratitude for the union's persistence and emphasized the importance of fair compensation to maintain quality library services and retain skilled professionals.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about the challenges facing Camden County librarians and their fight for fair compensation.


America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

SUBSCRIBE ON:

Group 342

Group 341

Group 343

Group 339

Group 397

Group 397