Public Employee Press

Fighting to save public services from Bloomberg's cuts
Library workers push funding bill

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

DC 37's four library locals have intensified their campaign for a local law to guarantee steady funding for the city's public libraries.

On May 22, City Council Library Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer officially introduced the proposal to set the annual library funding at 2.5 percent of the city's property tax base - Intro 1050.

Members of DC 37's library locals leafleted 11 days later in the districts of City Council members who haven't supported the "baseline funding" legislation.

"This campaign is broad-based, creative and run by the workers involved," DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido said.

"The leafleting went well," said Queens Library Guild Local 1321 President John Hyslop. "The people we interacted with responded favorably when we said we were fighting for the libraries."

By late June, enough City Council members were backing the bill to override a potential veto by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, but it was unclear whether City Council Speaker Christine Quinn would allow a vote on the measure. The blitz included targeting the district of Quinn, a mayoral candidate.

Local 1321 members emailed Quinn, who responded, "... I have called on Mayor Bloomberg to work with us to provide a stable and adequate baseline level of funding to really make public libraries the vital community resources they should and can be."

"The fact that so many City Council members have already signed on to Intro 1050 is a testimony to our work," said Cuthbert Dickenson, president of Quasi-Public Employees Local 374, which represents blue-collar workers at the New York Public Library.

Scores of library supporters rallied May 22 at City Hall to back the baseline-funding bill, support DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts's call for seven-day library service and press for the restoration of the $106 million of library cuts that Bloomberg sought. The campaign by union and community activists paid off as the funds were restored in the budget deal between the City Council and the mayor that was announced in June.

Several City Council members attended the rally, which culminated in a whimsical "Bubbles for Baselining" act that saw participants blow soap bubbles to show hope for passing Intro 1050.

Baseline funding

"Baselining means the workers wouldn't face layoffs each year," City Council Select Committee on Libraries Chair Vincent Gentile told PEP.

At a budget hearing June 5, Brooklyn Public Library Guild 1482 President Eileen Muller, New York Public Library Guild Local 1930 President Val Colon and Assistant Community Library Manager Christian Zabriskie of Local 1321 pushed for baseline funding and restoring the cuts, which they said would cause hundreds of layoffs, cut services and close branches.

Local 1321 member Kerline Piedra, a senior librarian in Queens, told PEP she was optimistic about Intro 1050.

Her team had just finished leafleting at Peter Vallone Jr.'s office in Astoria when the City Council member came across the street and greeted them. He wasn't ready to commit but appeared sympathetic, she said.

"We need this, "Piedra said. "We lost 40 union positions in 2010."