Labor-Management Notes

These are the minutes of the most recent Labor-Management Committee meeting. All in all, I felt that it was a productive meeting. I was particularly encouraged to see that the administration has taken our concerns about staffing (particularly in the branches) to heart.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20th at 2pm. If there's anything that you'd like added to the agenda, please let us know.

Thanks to Alima for taking notes.
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Labor Management Meeting

Friday May 30, 2008

Present: Patrice Hollman, Tim Burke, Marjorie Reinhart, Chris Saagas, Joe Burke, Amy Brozio-Andrews, Alima Atoui, Melissa Wasilewski

1. Union: The unionized workers of the Albany Public Library have changed organizations, from AFSCME Council 66 to CSEA Local 1000. This change requires some cooperation from the administration, such as adjusting the union dues for employees, and recognizing the unionized workers as CSEA Local 1000, although our current contract may refer to us as AFSCME Council 66. Administration has no problem with these requests.

2. Safety Committee: The Safety Committee, headed by Patrice, met initially in February 2008. It plans to meet next some time after the opening of the Pine Hills Transitional Library. Patrice has planned for the committee to meet 3-4 times per year.
Melissa asked if the budget had taken into consideration the placement of security officers at branch locations. Tim responded that it had not. The consideration that security might not be necessary if the libraries were adequately staffed was put forth.

3. Staffing at New Libraries: The plan is for the new branch libraries to be open forty-four hours per week with some weekend hours for the entire year. Except for the Pine Hills Library, branch circulation desks are to always be staffed by two clerks. The reference desk is to be staffed for thirty hours per week by one employee (either a librarian or a library assistant). As for the Pine Hills Library, the circulation desk, on the first floor, will be staffed at all times by two library clerks. An adjacent service desk that will provide youth services will be staffed thirty hours per week. On the second floor there will be a reference desk that is to be staffed by one person for forty-four hours per week.

4. Deep Clean of Main Branch: The third floor of the main branch was cleaned by an outside cleaning company at the beginning of 2008. The second and first floors were expected to be cleaned also, but they were not. Administration states that they are unsure they can afford the cost of cleaning the other two floors. On a related note, Patrice is working closely with the maintenance department to improve the cleanliness of the main library and asks for cooperation from all staff. Staff enthusiastically agrees to just about anything that will make this building cleaner!

5. Teen Employment: Melissa is working on a grant funded program to employee teenagers at Albany Public Library locations.