Community Letter of Support

An example/form to email the board at: trustees@dbrl.org. Feel free to edit and add as it feels right to you!

I stand with Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United (DBRLWU) in their fight for a fair second contract. I would ask the Board of Trustees to negotiate in good faith, to avoid taking the contract backwards, and to support the workers who make our library such an amazing part of our communities.

Today I am writing to you to express my support for DBRLWU, and to hope that you, the Board of Trustees, will agree to a fair contract and a fair wage for staff.  

We strongly believe that the library’s vision “to be at the heart of the community,” starts by taking care of the workers who provide vital services that keep our community running. Our library serves as a warming and cooling center, it gives patrons access to technology, it provides a space for staff-lead programs that provide tools for child and adult education, and it is a safe place for those who are vulnerable. Our library is an active community center. All of this would not be possible if it wasn’t for library workers.  

DBRLWU was ready to go and sent over 32 proposed contract articles in the first week of bargaining. Library management and the Board of Trustees delayed their responses for 5 full weeks. 

Moving backwards on the contract by weakening worker protections and failing to cover rising healthcare and cost of living expenses does not seem like good-faith bargaining. DBRLWU has been a shining example of what can happen when workers get a say in their workplace, and we have spent the past few years collaborating with library management to create a workplace that works for all of us. We have collaboratively inspired organizations across the country, presenting at the Missouri Library Association conference and being recognized for our contract at the American Federation of State, City and Municipal Employees conference. The former American Library Association president is still reposting DBRLWU’s social media posts, advocating for other libraries to follow their lead.

We urge you to bargain fairly with DBRLWU, and to demonstrate your understanding of staff’s value to our library. We ask you to remember that the staff are the library’s most valuable resource. We ask you to address this with a sense of urgency and not leave staff worried about whether they can afford health insurance.