The Rockaway Boardwalk Walk for Books was a great success! 30 supporters left from Seaside, 30 supporters left from Arverne and we met 30 supporters at Peninsula. We listened to Council Member Eric Ulrich, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, Council Member James Sanders Jr.'s representative Donavan Richards, Rockaway Civic Leaders and library staff talk of their support of Libraries. We really appreciate our elected officials voicing their strong support for libraries and library funding. This was a great event, thanks to the staff at Rockaway's libraries, including Matthew Allison for getting everyone involved. Let's thank our elected officials for supporting us.

Go to http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/Calendar.aspx?Mode=Today search for "libraries", select "this year" from the menu, click on Search Calendar and click on any of the videos on the right column to see testimonies of and questions from City Councilmembers for the 3 New York library systems. Among the topics of recent discussions include layoffs, funding, new services in the systems, and much more.

Yesterday, Queens Village had a fun and productive postcard and petition signing event. We got over 200 postcards and petitions signed!

Staff and customers of the Queens Library came together on the steps of the Flushing Community Library to rally against another massive budget cut to the Libraries proposed by Mayor Bloomberg.  Council Members Peter Koo and Jimmy Van Bramer, Asseblywoman Grace Meng and Borough President Helen Marshall spoke about the importance of all the free servcies library workers provide every citizen in Queens.  Also attending the rally was Anthony J. Lemma, Assemblyman David Weprin's Director of Community Relations.  This was a great turnout.  The members of Queens Library Guild, Local 1321 thank everyone for coming to support the working men and women of Queens Library.

The Local's Budget Action Committee, along with Urban Librarians Unite, created the attached documents to assist us with our budget advocacy events.  Read more >>>

The following is a summary of this Additions to Gross increase.  More information will be forthcoming.

This increase is the final piece of our Economic Contract that expired Marc 2, 2010.  It is .1% of what is called "Additions to Gross" and is retroactive to March 2, 2010.  Additions to Gross are longevity increases, uniform allowances, equipment allowances and more.

The reason this is happening now is the City and DC 37 disagreed with how it was supposed to be paid.  DC 37 filed some sort of legal action and settled with the City in October.  The City finally paid it last week.  More information will be coming.

I must make a comment about why some titles did not this increase.  We are well aware some titles did not get the increase and that is very unfair.  In the next round of bargaining, we will work to help resolve this inequity.

As many of you already know, in February Mayor Bloomberg announced his preliminary budget that cut the Queens Library’s budget $26.7 million. Obviously, this will impact us tremendously. In his testimony to City Council, our Local President John Hyslop acknowledged the staff’s frustration, discouragement, discontent and fear of job loss with the Mayor’s preliminary budget proposal.
 

Local 1321 is not taking this sitting down. We are re-forming our Budget Action Committee to mobilize everyone to fight for Libraries, for our Customers and for our Jobs!

Read more >>>

I called Finance and they informed me that all Local 1321 members are automatically enrolled in New York State's Pension System.

On March 13, 2012 the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Inter-Group Relations and the Sub Committee on Libraries held their hearing on the Mayor's Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2013.  The following is President John Hyslop's Testimony. Read more >>>

Statement of AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee after Pres. Obama’s State of the Union address Read more >>>

Local 1321's parent union DC 37 held its first bargaining session for a new economic contract on November 10, 2011. Read more >>>

Queens Library Guild, Local 1321 members and their partners fought to save New York City's libraries. Our advocacy campaign convinced our politicians that this city's libraries are an essential service and we needed full restoration. The Queens Library staff throughout Queens made a tremendous effort to advocate for their libraries. We held rallies, petition and postcard signing events, read-ins, hugs and other creative events.

Yesterday, New York City's Mayor and City Council agreed to a funding level that provides the citizens of this great city with 5-day library service and prevents the layoff of hundreds of library workers. For the coming fiscal year, library workers will continue to provide excellent customer service including free access to books, DVDs, CDs, programs, computers, Internet, space to mingle and learn, and everything else New Yorkers have grown to expect from their Libraries. This is great news!

Local 1321's gratitude goes to everyone who came out to support their public libraries.

• We thank our customers, some of whom went above and beyond in their support of their public libraries. Our thanks go out to the hundreds of thousands of customers who signed petitions and postcards in support of libraries. Without their support, we would never have demonstrated how important library services are.
• We thank Queens Library CEO Tom Galante, the Library's Government and Community Affairs office and the rest of the Administration for working with the Local. This cooperative effort was a success.
• We thank the staff at all the branches that held rallies and events - Far Rockaway, Seaside, Arverne, Peninsula, Laurelton, Rosedale, Langston Hughes, Flushing, Central, Long Island City, Woodhaven, North Forest Park, Jackson Heights, Richmond Hill and South Hollis. We brought attention to the potential devastation the proposed cuts would have on library services.
• We thank our fellow library workers from Urban Librarians Unite. Their innovative advocacy brought international attention to our plight.
• We thank all the people at DC 37 who used their expertise and knowledge to advocate for libraries: Political Action, Professional Division, Research and Negotiations, Purchasing Department (for getting us the tee shirts), Communications Department and the Executive Office. Without them, we would not have succeeded.
• We thank our fellow Library Unions for working with us to fight for library services: Eileen Muller, President Brooklyn Library Guild, Local 1482; Val Colon, President New York Public Library Guild, Local 1930, Cuthbert Dickenson, President Quasi-Public Employees, Local 374.
• We thank our fellow DC 37 Locals for showing their solidarity with library workers and participated in our rallies – Dennis Ifill, President 1359; Eddie Rodriguez, President Local 1549 and DC 37; James Tucciarelli, President Local 1320; Michael DeMarco, President Local 1455; Clifford Koppelman, President Local 1070 and Secretary of DC 37; Maf Uddin, President Local 1407 and Treasurer of DC 37 and anyone else we neglected to mention.
• We thank our Borough Presidents for advocating for NYC's libraries especially Borough Presidents: Mark Stringer, Marty Markowitz and Helen Marshall. They were instrumental in bringing attention to the public library crisis.
• We thank our Mayor Michael Bloomberg for providing enough funding to have 5 day service and avoid layoffs.
• We thank our City Council Members who made time in their very busy schedule to come to our rallies and events, including: City Council Members Jimmy Van Bramer, Elizabeth Crowley, Eric Ulrich, Leroy Comrie, James Sanders, Peter Koo, Karen Koslowitz, Julissa Ferreras, Dan Halloran, Mark Weprin, Danny Dromm and Vincent Gentile. We need to thank all the City Council Members who provided the necessary funding to have 5-day service throughout the city. We also need to thank Council Speaker Christine Quinn and City Council Committee on Finance Chair Domenic Recchia for making a special effort to ensure public libraries get proper funding.
• Finally and special thanks go to the amazingly hard-working and conscientious members of the Local's Budget Action Committee. Without their commitment our advocacy would not have happened. Everyone who cares about their public library must thank them for their tireless work.

On June 16, 2011, Queens Library, New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library gave Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer and Mayor Michael Bloomberg over a 1/4 million petitions and postcards signed by the residents of New York City.  This stunning show of support is all the more remarkable because this was all done in just over three weeks.  Local 1321 members held rallies throughout Queens to highlight the drastic impact these cuts would have on public libraries and library users responded in a big way.  We do hope that the politicians the Citizens of New York elected to serve us and the City of New York listen to our voice and SAVE OUR LIBRARIES BY RESTORING FULL FUNDING FOR THEM!

On April 28, 2011 DC 37 held an hearing to demonstrate New York City is not collecting all the revenue it can.  Read the report here.

We need every Local 1321 member to be involved with this year's advocacy efforts.  Check out Budget Advocacy and Layoff Resources on the left hand side to see how. 

Also check the Calendar and Calendar by month for rallies by Local 1321 members and our partners!

If you are interested in having an event at your branch or volunteering for BAC events email local1321bac@gmail.com.

Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Library have petitions everyone must sign if they care about their Public Libraries.  Let your representatives hear your voice.

Brooklyn Public Library

Queens Public Library