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Welcome to the Albany Public Library employees' union blog. We are an affiliate of the Civil Service Employees Union (CSEA). I hope that with this blog, we'll all be able to communicate better within the union. Being scattered over several locations, we don't often get to see each other and discuss our experiences of working at APL. I'd like to see that change and I'd like that change to start here.
6 comments:
Pros:
1)Close to Home
2)Keep our Money
3)Represent several other Libraries in area.
4)Eager to represent us.
5)Graduated dues schedule that is easy to understand.
Cons:
1) Very Large
2) Still AFSCME
3) Slow to respond to our initial request.
4) Difficult to leave.
5) Requires in house staff - ie President, Vice President, Treasurer,
6) Complex accounting requirements
I think I am leaning heavily toward CSEA. I wouldn't have said that before this whole process began because way back when we were first looking into unions, CSEA didn't impress us. I can't remember exactly why, but mostly I think it was because they are so big, and they didn't send an organizer around. Anyway, after meeting with CSEA people, along with other APL folk, I was pleasantly surprised. They say we do not have to pay anything toward arbitration costs. They have the most progressive dues structure of all three unions (something we fought long and hard with AFSCME about, and ended up with the three-tiered structure we have now.) The transition would be much easier than with UPSEU - almost automatic, I think. And we would be allies with our colleagues at Bethlehem and Guilderland.
I agree with Jendy.
UPSEU just didn't impress me and in our current circumstances where we're going to get a new director ( I assume) we need a union that knows what it's doing.
I spoke to Steve from CSEA yesterday and was very satisfied with the answers to my questions.
Pro:
As this organization writes a new contract, increases the number of bargaining unit members, and sees other fundemental changes in the coming years, representation by a locally active group of public employees who are experienced with civil service and representing persons of various classifcations is imperative.
Pro:
In addition, any budget votes we need passed in Albany in the coming years could be greatly influenced by the 22,000 members of CSEA who live in our fair city.
Pro:
I doubt they will neglect us living right next door.
Con:
They will spend our dues money on television ads.
Pros:
1) Ditto previously posted pros
2) Back-end support promised
3) Reps know how to use e-mail
4) Big Union - limitations of any large organization, but a lot of experience, members, political clout
5) I kinda like that our dues go to TV ads
There is no such thing as a perfect union, and our options here are severely limited by no-raid agreements between the major unions. Despite this, I believe that CSEA is our best option. CSEA was indeed slow to respond to us, but I think that we were trying to contact the wrong people and I am persuaded that this will not be an ongoing problem. CSEA has received glowing recommendations from their affiliates at the Guilderland, Bethleham and Schnectady libraries and East Greenbush also seems to be leaning heavily in their favor. Kate Luscombe has said that CSEA is interested in establishing a local working group for public libraries. They have incredible resources for contract negotiations and arbitrations, all of which would be fully and freely available to us. CSEA also has better resources than AFSCME or UPSEU for dealing with Civil Service issues. Like UPSEU, CSEA has a progressive due schedule that is easy to understand and seems far more stable than AFSCME's. CSEA has promised to make a point of visiting all the locations of APL on a regular basis. Finally, while not having to administer the union would be a great relief to some of us, I fear that not having local officers (as in the UPSEU model) would have the effect of giving up too much local control over union affairs. And we get to keep the pizza money. Can't forget about the pizza money.
For all of these reasons, I will enthusiastically be voting for CSEA.
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