Contact: Chelsey Engel, 412-562-2446, cengel@usw.org
Workers at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh today filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They are seeking a collective bargaining agreement that would cover employees across 19 public branches and the library support center.
“Filing authorization cards is an exciting milestone for all of us,” said Rachel Masilamani, a part-time librarian at the Downtown and Business location. “It’s no surprise to me that we’re filing today with so many of us committing our support to this democratic process. We all love the library, and are ready to work together to make it even better.”
The United Library Workers began discussing unionization late last summer. They launched their official campaign with the United Steelworkers last month in hopes of gaining a voice when it comes to making decisions that affect the library, the people they serve, and their own working conditions.
“Respectful discussion, protecting one another’s privacy, working towards the greater good, and making well-informed decisions are our core values,” said Masilamani. “This is a big step towards making the library a more fair and equitable place, and I am proud to stand with my coworkers today.”
The committee also called on the library administration to respect workers’ right to organize, remain neutral, and refrain from spending public resources on anti-union activity.
The Teamsters and SEIU currently represent the Carnegie Library’s drivers and environmental service workers. This new organizing effort includes all 350 remaining eligible unrepresented staff who would join a growing number of white-collar Steelworkers in Allegheny County, from public defenders to professors.
The USW represents workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors.