CSEA CITY OF ROCHESTER LIBRARY WORKERS GET CONTRACT

above:  The main atrium at The Bausch & Lomb

Memorial Library Building at the Central Library of Rochester

and Monroe County.  RPL workers were organized by CSEA

and AFSCME.

Rochester, N.Y.-- About 130 workers of the Rochester Public Library that are represented by CSEA, the Civil Service Employees Association, have unanimously ratified a new labor agreement with the City of Rochester.  The City of Rochester PT Library Workers Local 828 Unit 7420 have been organized since 1995. 

According to CSEA Labor Relations Specialist Robert Leonard, the union’s chief negotiator, the new 4-year contract agreement, when ratified by management, will take effect on July 1, 2009 and runs through June 30, 2013. The agreement calls for a cost of living increase each year, retroactive pay, a parking subsidy and no change in the threshold of yearly hours worked to be eligible for holiday pay.

"We would like to express our sincere appreciation to library management, City Labor Relations and to our CSEA members at all 11 branch libraries for their commitment to the negotiations process,” said Ove Overmyer, president of the CSEA City of Rochester Library Workers Local 828 Unit 7420. He added, “The new agreement required compromise and sacrifice on both sides and we believe it's respectful to taxpayers and employees alike." 

There are more part time employees than full time workers at the Rochester Public Library.  The new contract was reached after a one year negotiations process.  The contract deal is expected to be signed and approved by mid May.

CSEA - New York's Leading Union - represents nearly 300,000 municipal workers employed by county, city, town and village governments, school districts, library systems, authorities and public corporations. CSEA is also the largest affiliate (Local 1000) of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which, in turn, is one of the largest affiliates of the AFL-CIO.