Over 50 people gathered last weekend between Euclid Library’s memorial military tank and its trademark clocktower to show support for Euclid Library union members who are working on an expired contract since Sept. 30. SEIU District 1199 administrator organizer Michael Wood said that the workers he represents, and Euclid library’s management have failed to come to an agreement, mostly because of wages. “We are holding a rally to bring attention to the fact that we are not receiving a fair contract offer from the library,” Wood said during the Oct. 5 rally. “We are in contract negotiations, so we are working on an expired contract. We are making a public statement because we would like the public to support their library workers. “Our library workers do some really good things for the community, good libraries make for good communities…” He said in addition to higher wages, he wanted to bring back step increases for workers, so that those that worked for the library for a longer period would be guaranteed raises. A rally speaker talks on union negotiations. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) He said that currently the library has not given higher wages beyond cost-of-living increases, meaning that people are often kept at the same salary they were originally hired in at. “One of the main sticking points that is related to wages, which we are trying to get in our contract is a match,” Wood said. “If you notice, there are people wearing buttons that say ‘make it match.’ We want to be assured that whatever wages that we bargain for then that’s what management is going to get. If management gets double, then they need to do the same for us.” District 1199 administrator organizer, Michael Wood, state Sen. for District 21 Kent Smith, and a rally organizer talk. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) Woods said that the sticking point in their contract negotiations came after the union agreed on a 3% cost-of-living wage increase in January of this year, shortly after the library board awarded administrators 7%, according to a copy of the expired union agreement obtained from the State Library of Ohio’s website. He said that union members were not trying to bankrupt the library or cause an impact on services, and that the library had a budget surplus of over $1.6 million last year, which if raises were given at the percent the union is asking for would not go over that amount. “So, what we are trying to do is get a clause in our contract that just says they will treat us the same as management, which doesn’t cost them a nickel as long as they don’t keep giving managers double the raises that the workers are getting.” Wood added. Members and supporters of SEIU District 1199 hold signs with different pro-labor messages. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) Library Director Kacie Armstrong has had her salary increase 30% over five years, which when she started was $109,000 in 2019 and has risen to $133,752 in 2023, according to a Ohio Librarians Salary spreadsheet from the State Library of Ohio’s website. According to a 2023 annual report, the library’s annual general fund revenue was $5,882,041. Wood said that of the 65 library employees 47 of them are union and a third of those union workers are part time and making less than $19 an hour. Rally attendees disperse after a group photo. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) Armstrong, when asked about her salary, said it has been mentioned as part of the union negotiations and because of that she declined to comment further. She said negotiations will resume on Oct. 10. “Euclid Public Library began negotiating with the union on august 26 and the union and the library agreed to bring in FCMS mediators to help us with that process,” Armstrong said. “We are looking forward to working with them on coming up with an agreement on a contract on wages. “A proposal that is sustainable and fair for both the library and their employees… We will be providing some additional information with the finances of the library.”