We are thrilled to announce that on March 26, 2025, the Municipal & County Government Employees Organization (MCGEO) was officially certified as the exclusive representative for Charles County Public Library employees.
This victory is a testament to the strength, unity, and commitment from a growing number of library associates across the State of Maryland.

This was a significant step towards improving working conditions and benefits and ensuring that workers’ voices are heard at the bargaining table.

Unionizing gives workers power! It gives you and your coworkers the power to negotiate better pay, benefits, and working conditions. It ensures that your voice is not just heard, but respected. It’s no coincidence that unionized library workers in nearby counties are making strides—organizing provides the structure and strength to fight for what’s rightfully yours.

The time is now to organize, to build power, and to ensure that every employee of the County Library system has a seat at the table. Let us work together to create a future where your work is respected, your voices are amplified, and your community thrives because of it.

We held a series of virtual town halls last year and we believe that many of the concerns communicated can be resolved at the bargaining table. This must be a collective effort as both part-time and full-time employees have issues specific to their units.

Let’s organize!

Show your interest by signing up. Download your county flyer and scan the QR Code NOW!

B.9.11 Collective Bargaining (Old Number 54.11)

The American Library Association recognizes the principle of collective bargaining as one of the methods of conducting labor-management relations used by private and public institutions. The Association affirms the right of eligible library employees to organize and bargain collectively with their employers, or to refrain from organizing and bargaining collectively, without fear of reprisal.

Guidelines

Association of College & Research Libraries. Guideline on Collective Bargaining. June 2008.

 

Committees and Communities within ALA with an interest in unions and collective bargaining

LLAMA/HRS Union Relations for Managers Discussion Group

RUSA AFL-CIO-ALA, Library Service to Labor Groups

ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers

Union Library Workers (Connect community)

Resources

ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers. Advocating for Better Salaries Toolkit, 5th edition, April 2014 (PDF). Specifically, pp 40ff.

AFL-CIO, Department for Professional Employees. Library Workers: Facts & Figures, 2014

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economic News Release: Union Membership

Bibliography prepared for the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups, 1992

Labor Day Reading List, The Hub, Sept. 3, 2012

Last updated November 21, 2014