Jane Billinger, Senior Advisor for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the work of library workers.
She discussed the fight for a first contract in Missouri. The Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United, is fighting for a first contract as Billinger assists in negotiations. It has been six months since negotiations started and over two years since the organizing process began. Billinger said, it never ceases to amaze her how the negotiation team can continue to come back to the table repeatedly despite facing an opposing side that doesn’t want to negotiate in good faith.
Adding to the negotiating issues, Billinger and the Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United are also fighting against a state budget plan to defund most libraries. There are a few larger libraries that could survive the defunding, but Billinger believes many rural libraries would need help to continue operations.
Library workers, unlike librarians, come from a variety of educational backgrounds. Archiving, ordering, preparing books for filling the shelves, and more are a few tasks a library worker will have daily. In honor of their hard work, National Library Workers Day is celebrated on April 26th. Many library staffs across the country are planning events for residents to attend, and during these events, library workers will be able to show the public much of what they do.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.