Library Admins Are Using Public Money to Hire Union Busters Against Workers

""All of us work here because we believe in the library and our community impact,""

""They told us the county rejected our raises," Royden told Truthout."

""It was the library's choice to make up the shortfall via our wages.""

Howard County Library System recorded more than 1.5 million visits across seven locations, a special collections unit, and a pop-up library in 2024. A quarter of a million students took classes at the libraries, and patrons checked out and returned over 7.5 million items. Libraries host activities for all ages, including Dungeons & Dragons, English conversation practice, and toddler play, and maintain year-round climate control. Library staff negotiated collectively bargained raises including a 3 percent raise and a 4 percent cost-of-living adjustment but were later told the raises were rejected and face arbitration on October 28. Management approved COLA raises for non-bargaining staff while excluding the bargaining unit pending arbitration.

Read at Truthout