Organizing under quarantine: library workers win paid leave!
By Workers at the Free Library of Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, the poorest large city in the nation, libraries are a crucial resource for working class people. They connect people to job search support, homework help, internet access, fitness classes, support groups, and shelter in unsafe weather.
Philadelphia’s City government was slow to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials said everything should continue as planned, even as cases spread in neighboring counties. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney continued to encourage people to go out, callously explaining, “We may be healthier, but the economy will be in the tank.”
Even after the governor shut down libraries statewide, the city insisted that libraries would remain open, though programming would be canceled. Next, they announced that libraries would be closed to the public for two weeks - but employees must still report to work. Some were allowed to work from home, but there was no fair process around this. Our co-workers were becoming increasingly afraid and angry.
The Free Library employs over 1000 workers. Around 250 are librarians in one union local, while the majority are blue collar workers like security guards and library assistants in a separate local. There are also additional white collar workers, and around 300 non-union seasonal staff, including after school workers, who are mostly Black, queer, and/or women. Starting wages can be as low as $13.00 an hour. Seasonals get laid off 3 months out of every year, and have no health benefits and little paid sick time.
There was not enough work to justify the entire workforce reporting to closed branches for two weeks. Forcing hundreds of workers to commute on public transit was a blatant disregard for our lives, and for public health. It felt like a control mechanism. The Mayor did not want to set the precedent that workers could be paid without working - even if it meant putting lives at risk.
Union leadership was in closed-door negotiations with the City, but there was little communication to rank and file members about what the demands were, or how we could participate.
Without their regular pay, workers would be forced to put themselves in danger to seek other sources of income - no one should have to risk their health to avoid financial catastrophe!
Library workers had had enough. We began to organize.
Emails started flying back and forth, and soon we scheduled a video conference call. We had several calls over just a few days, including workers in all job classes. We talked out our issues, consolidated them into clear demands, and split up into working groups. Inspired by Pittsburgh library workers, one team drafted a public petition, another started press outreach, another drafted more detailed internal demands for Library administration. Still another team communicated these ideas back to the rest of our coworkers.
Collectively, we determined that the only safe thing to demand was that ALL workers stay home without losing pay. We wanted everyone to be put on “E-Time” - a provision won in our union contracts, to be excused from work during emergencies, like snowstorms, without losing any pay or using our own accrued sick or vacation time.
Our petition went live Monday morning. By Tuesday evening it had over 4,000 signatures. We were soon notified that all permanent employees would receive E-Time! But there was a catch, Library administration said they had to “check” with City HR to determine if seasonals could be included - a classic divide and conquer tactic.
Permanent employees were outraged that our seasonal coworkers would not be guaranteed the same protections as everyone else. We immediately scheduled another conference call, led by seasonal employees themselves, to figure out the best way to fight for equal treatment.
To keep pressure on the mayor, we planned a call-in and social media blast, and spoke to reporters. That night we were informed that all library employees, including seasonals, would be paid for their regularly scheduled hours, for the duration of the closure!
The crucial aspects of this win were solidarity across all job classes, races, genders, and ages, and a commitment to shop floor action -- even under quarantine! Our organizing bolstered the private negotiations that our union leadership was engaged in, and made sure that even non-union workers were included in our victory.
As workers, our power comes from our numbers and our ability to unite collectively across all our differences. When we fight we win!
