Local 1482 Brooklyn Library Guild

As a union member, you have the right to refuse to submit to a meeting with management or employer's investigatory interview without the presence of a union representative if you reasonably believe that the meeting or interview could result in disciplinary action.

These are your Weingarten Rights.  They are federal law, and they were guaranteed in a Supreme Court case back in 1975.  If you are ever summoned to a meeting with management that you feel can lead to disciplinary action against you, invoke your Weingarten Rights right away.  Refuse to answer questions or continue the discussion until you are provided with union representation. 

We have created a document to post on union bulletin boards in your work locations that provides members with language to use if they are ever called into what they believe is a disciplinary meeting with management.  The file is 8" x 6".  Print it out, and cut out around the border before posting (we get it that bulletin boards can get crowded, so we kept the document to half-page sized).

Find more information about your Weingarten Rights here. 

Please print out and display our schedule for Local 1482 meetings on your union bulletin boards, and share it with your colleagues.

The first General Membership meeting of 2019/2020 is Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 pm and will be held in the Trustees Room of the Central Library.

General Membership meetings are an excellent opportunity to catch up on the latest news, and to discuss  issues and actions that matter to you.   We hope you can participate!

The date for the annual Labor Day Parade for all city unions is Saturday, September 7 at 11:00 am.

All members of Local 1482 are invited to march, as are your friends and loved ones, and everyone who supports labor and unions.

If you are able to join us, please wear your green DC37 t-shirt or baseball cap. The meeting place will be West 48th Street in Manhattan between 5th and 6th Avenues

Please download and print out the flyer, found here, and share it with your colleagues.

We'll see you on September 7th!

The Local 1482 family picnic is happening this Sunday!  It will take place on Sunday June 9, from 11 am to 5 pm and you'll find us near the Picnic House in Prospect Park, which is located near the entrance to the park at Prospect Park West and 4th St.  Bring the family, and join Local 1482 for food, fellowship, games, fun, and raffle prizes. 

Click on the image above to download a flyer to share with your colleagues.  We hope you and your family are able to join us on Sunday!

A paid leave benefit has been negotiated on behalf of DC37 members covered by the 2017-2021 economic agreement.

New York's Paid Family Leave provides job-protected time off so you can bond with a newly-born, adopted, or fostered child; care for a close relative with a serious health condition; or assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service.

There are more details on Paid Family Leave, including eligibility and the weekly percentage of paid leave the benefit provides in the document below.  You can   download a PDF of the document here, and we have posted it in the Benefits & Services page of the Local 1482 website..

This fact sheet was prepared by the Research & Negotiations Department at DC37.

The first General Membership Meeting for 2018-2019 is scheduled on Tuesday October 2nd, at 7:00 pm in the Trustees Room of the Central Library.  As always, General Membership meetings are held on the the first Tuesday of the month in October, December, February, April, and June.  You can find the full schedule, along with other Local 1482 events, on the Meetings and Events page. 

We also have a flyer listing both the General Membership and Executive Board meetings, located here.  Please print it out and post it on the union bulletin boards in your work locations. 

All members of Local 1482 are welcome- and encouraged- to attend General Membership meetings when they are able to.  The union is as strong as its membership, and the General Membership meetings are your chance to vote on motions, add your thoughts to discussions, and get involved.  See you on October 2nd!

Ballots to vote on the new economic contract between DC37 and the City of New York were mailed to members' home addresses last week.  If you do not receive your ballot, reach out to a member of the Executive Board or send an email to local1482@gmail.com. 

The vote is being run by the American Arbitration Association, and ballots are due there no later than 9:00 am on Wednesday, August 14th.  Please mail in your ballots as soon as you can! 

It is important to follow the instructions for preparing your ballot, or it will be deemed invalid and will not count.  Voting instructions are found on the other side of the purple ballot.  Please read them carefully before marking your ballot or sealing it in the enclosed envelopes. 

We encourage members to vote 'Yes' on this agreement.  Besides providing raises totaling 7.42% over the 44 months of the contract, the contract is also notable for not including any givebacks on healthcare and promises increases in education and workplace skills training. 

If you have any questions about the contract, or the voting process, please reach out to a member of the Executive Board or send an email to local1482@gmail.com. 

There were a couple of major news stories this week you may have missed...

DC37 Reaches Tentative Agreement with the City for New Economic Contract
On June 25, DC37 reached a tentative agreement with the City on a new economic contract.  The 44-month contract provides 7.42% in wage hikes to the 100,000 members of DC 37, which includes members of Local 1482.  The previous contract expired in September, 2017.  The wage increases break down as follows: 

• Effective September 26, 2017 – 2.00%
• Effective September 26, 2018 – 2.25% compounded
• Effective October 26, 2019 – 3.0% compounded

The contract also preserves premium-free health insurance for DC37 members and retirees at least through 2021, due to negotiations with the Municipal Labor Council, which represents all the unions of all city workers.  In addition, DC37 and the City agreed to work together to opt-in to the New York Family Leave program by January, 2019.

The contract was approved by DC37 delegates.  Soon, secret ballots will be sent to all members to vote on the contract.  We'll share the dates the ballots will be distributed, and when they are due, once they are announced. 

You can read more about the contract about the contract at the DC37 website here and here.

Supreme Court Rules Against AFSCME in a 5-4 Decision in Janus vs. AFSCME Case
On Wednesday, the five justices in the majority vote of the Janus vs. AFSCME case dismantled 40 years of legal precedent by undermining public workers and their unions in favor of privileged, wealthy corporate interests.  The effects of this decision could eventually gut healthcare benefits, wages, and the ability to protect workplace health and safety of public sector workers. 

The five justices in the majority ruled that mandating agency fees for non-members is unconstitutional under the First Amendment.  Agency fees are paid by workers who choose not to belong in the union, but are represented by the union for contract bargaining, grievances, and other functions.  The court also ruled that unions must continue to represent non-members even if they opt out of paying agency fees.  This decision is designed to diminish revenue and erode membership and influence.

This article in Vox provides a solid overview on the significance of the Janus vs. AFSCME decision if you want to read more. 

You can read reaction from DC37 on the decision here and here.

Finally, if you have not yet signed a card to join or recommit to DC37, you can either reach out to a member of the Executive Board to provide you with a card, or you can sign up online on the DC37 site.  Encourage your coworkers and friends to fill out a card as well!  Our strength is in our numbers, and it will be through collective action that we can fight inequality and attacks on workers

This year's annual conference of the New York Library Association will be held in Rochester, November 7-10. 


The Library & Leadership Management Section (LAMS) of the New York Library Association is seeking candidates for two scholarships to attend NYLA’s 2018 Conference in Rochester for first time attendees. One award will be given to Directors/Branch Managers; the second is for Library Assistants/support staff. This award covers the full conference registration fee; hotel room; LAMS luncheon and $100.00 towards travel. All applicants must submit an application in the form of a letter which includes:

•  Why you wish to attend conference 
• How the experience will benefit your work 
• How you will share what you learn with co-workers and/or colleagues 
• Your professional goals 
• How attending conference will help you achieve those goals 

To apply for these scholarships, submit the application via email to Julie Dempsey at jkelsall@highlandlibrary.org by June 30, 2018 All applicants will be reviewed by the LAMS’ Scholarship Committee. The winners of these scholarships will be selected by July 31, 2018.

This would a terrific opportunity for members of Local 1482 who have never attended a NYLA conference before.  Please share this information with colleagues and friends you think may be interested!

We deeply thank the membership of Local 1482 for participating in our Day of Action on Wednesday and making it a success.  It looks like most of our work locations were represented, often with full participation.  We hope the day promoted a sense of teamwork and solidarity throughout all of the agencies represented by Local 1482. 

We've heard that numerous library visitors noticed the shirts, hats, and buttons, and asked what they were about.  Thank you for responding to their questions, and for helping to raise awareness that the city's libraries run thanks to the hard work and dedication of staff who belong to a public sector union.

Also, many thanks to members who took photos and have forwarded them to us. If you have photos, send them in!  We'll add them to the slideshow.  You can email them to local1482@gmail.com. Also send us your stories, anecdotes and impressions from the day.

As of this posting, there is still no decision issued from the Supreme Court on the Janus vs. AFSCME case.  It is expected any day now.  We encourage Local 1482 members to make a plan on how you will respond.  If you haven't already, you can sign up for action alerts from DC37.  Also, at 5:00 pm on the day of the ruling, there will be an Emergency Janus Protest/Union Power Rally is planned in Foley Square in Manhattan at 5:00 p.m. All union members--and their families and supporters--are invited.

Once again, thank you for your enthusiastic support of Local 1482's Day of Action, and for demonstrating that your union is proud and strong and ready to confront the future.