By Marley Seaman
"The overall treatment is a slap in the face," said CSEA spokeswoman Rachel Langert. "They're not willing to work with us. This is something that's been festering for two years. It's a form of disrespect."
The library staff has not had a contract since June 30, 2004. Workers began wearing black as a form of protest over the last year, and prior to that they wore buttons saying they wanted an "average" salary. Library Unit President Kathy Whiteway said Baldwin's salaries are now 20 percent below the Nassau County average.
The Nassau County Library Association conducts annual voluntary surveys of the county's libraries. For 2004-05, the average salary for an experienced librarian at the responding libraries was $58,255. In Baldwin, the same librarians earned an average of $46,350. The salaries of Baldwin senior library clerks and less experienced librarians fell $10,000 and $7,000 below the county averages, respectively.
Library Board of Trustees President Kevin Kamen said the board's offers were fair, and would make the staff's salaries "competitive" with other Nassau libraries. "We want to come to terms and have wanted to come to terms with the staff," he said. "They're a good staff, and we understand and appreciate their value. However, we have responsibility to represent the taxpayers of Baldwin. We do not have unlimited funds to offer the staff."
In a statement, the board said that its latest offer included a 9 percent increase from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2009, plus a $2,000 raise. Salaries from July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2006, would rise 4 percent retroactively. Employees would be asked to pay 10 percent of their insurance costs.
Because the past salaries were negotiated, Kamen said, the staff had only itself to blame if the wages were too low. He added that the offers the board has made would solve the problem. "Every time, we've upped the ante, and they are still not willing to accept a fair contract," said Kamen. He added that he believes union leadership is not presenting the board's offers to other union members.
The library staff is primarily female, and Whiteway accused the board of sexism. "I bet they wouldn't dare offer such paltry raises to a group of men," she said, adding that many of the library employees are single mothers or the primary earners in their households. "The way they are disrespecting us is unacceptable."
Kamen responded that allegations of sexism were "absurd." "We have the utmost respect for every single employee at the library," he said. "I've been at the library for 28 years, and that is an unconscionable comment. Absolutely ridiculous."
With the situation unresolved, the CSEA is planning other actions -- possibly including more protests -- to draw attention to the librarians' issue.
"We're going to be working on a campaign to get them a contract," said Langert. "This is only the opening salvo. Whatever we have to do, we will keep fighting for these people."
Comments about this story? MSeaman@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
