INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — An 18 mph wind speed at 11:30 a.m., Friday, March 27 did not stop Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) workers, elected officials and community supporters from gathering outside its North Independence Branch for the launch of its union “MCPL Workers United” and merge with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 6360.
MCPL Workers United, which went public with its social media campaign on March 19, is composed of library workers at various MCPL branches across the Kansas City metro, fighting for increased wages, secured spaces and open communication models.
Of those in attendance on Friday included elected officials from the Missouri State House — District 24 State Representative Emily Weber and District 35 State Representative Keri Ingle — as well as Jackson County Legislator Jalen Anderson. Independence, Mo., Fire Department Chief James “Jimmy” Walker was also present at the rally, Friday.
Master of Ceremonies (emcee) and Colbern Road Library Center Programming Associate Dawson Sims addressed the crowd to begin the press conference — inviting a few MCPL employees to share their experiences and passion for library goers, which sparked the creation of “MCPL Workers United.”
Among speakers on Friday included Organizing Committee Member Laura Detrick who serves as a youth service associate for MCPL, where she said she has worked for over 11 years.
“We are forming a union because we care deeply about our libraries, and we believe in the programming and the services that we provide to our communities but can no longer afford to do the work they love,” Dietrich said in a press conference, Friday. “Supporting the movement to unionize with CWA [local 6360] means standing up for a voice in our workplace; it means demanding the respect and dignity that we deserve. It means supporting the libraries our communities deserve.”
MCPL employees involved in this unionization, and who spoke out in solidarity, span anywhere from two years to 23 years with the MCPL system.
“I’ve worked in this library system for 23 years, and as an outreach librarian, my job has never been about just what happens inside of our buildings but about going out in our community and making sure people can access what they need wherever they are,” said Organizing Committee Member, Lisa Campbell. “Right now, the conditions we’re working under are making it harder and harder to do this work with the level of care it deserves. Mid-Continent Public Library buildings are under staffed and employees are under paid and under supported; too often, decisions are being made that prioritize private influence over public need and that pulls us further away from the mission that brought us here in the first place, which was to provide access to resources and connections to our communities.”
And with current conditions — including what they have stated as insufficient wages and dwindling employment numbers — library staff at branches across the Kansas City metro shared that it has complicated day-to-day operations and their ability to serve communities.
“Recently, we’ve seen some striking changes. Restrictions on how we run programs, reductions in what we can offer and cuts to teen programming across branches,” said Sascha Merryfield, youth programming team member. “The library is one of the few public places where teens can simply exist, safely, quietly and without pressure to spend money. Our library is for everyone, we will fight to keep it safe, equitable and strong together.”
CWA Local 6360 was in attendance on Friday, including its President Tom Gebken, who showed support and expressed gratitude for the efforts MCPL Workers United made in preparation for the rally and unification.
“This group has been working diligently, hours and hours to get to where we are right now; we really appreciate the efforts they put in and we stand behind them and we stand with them, so that we can have a good contract that they’ll be appreciative of,” Gebken said in an interview with The Labor Beacon, Friday.
Following the press conference, MCPL Workers United traveled to MCPL’s Administrative Headquarters together, with the intention of delivering a public declaration petition — which over 60% (over 360 individual) MCPL workers across the Kansas City metro signed, Sims shared on Friday — to MCPL Executive Director Aaron Mason.
However, Mason rejected receival of this declaration, according to CWA Local 6360’s website. This led MCPL Workers United to now work toward submitting this declaration to the Missouri State Board of Mediation — the state board, which focuses on public sector labor law — according to CWA Local 6360.
“Our commitment is to be here with you everyday — it always has been. To build a library system that truly reflects and supports all of you, everyone in this community,” Campbell said in a press conference, Friday.
Julia Williams — a Kansas City native — is a reporter and digital producer for The Labor Beacon. A University of Missouri School of Journalism alumna, she previously served as the editor-in-chief of The Northeast News before joining The Labor Beacon staff.
Williams’s grandfather was a Claycomo Ford Motor Company retiree and avid UAW Local 249 supporter, allowing her to understand the union difference from a young age.
In her free time, Williams enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to see her friends and hanging out at home with her cat, Greta. She loves a good cup of coffee, seeing local, live music and shopping secondhand. With a passion for storytelling, she hopes to bring her knowledge of journalistic integrity to the Kansas City union community — giving union and labor workers a voice, while holding people in powerful positions accountable.
