Three unions representing Kalamazoo Public Library employees say they will file “an Unfair Labor Practice” complaint against KPL.
Jack Soderberg is the president of the Union of KPL Aides and Hourly Custodians, which represents part-time workers.
Soderberg said the complaint stems from KPL’s refusal to say how much it has paid a lawyer on its team during contract negotiations, stating that the information was irrelevant to the still ongoing negotiations.
Soderberg said the unions have a right to know what the lawyer is paid, especially since the library claims it cannot afford to meet their demands on wages.
“That money could be going back into the hands of workers and back into our pockets to continue to support the library rather than support this attorney who's not from the community and ultimately is working to pay us less," Soderberg said.
In an email, KPL Director Michael Cockrell declined an interview request while negotiations were ongoing.
"Out of respect for that process, we are not commenting on specific details or making anyone available for interview while it is ongoing," Cockrell said.
"We remain committed to the negotiating process, to paying our staff a fair and competitive wage, and ultimately to fulfilling our primary responsibility to sustain quality public library services to patrons of the Kalamazoo Public Library and our community."
In response to Soderberg, Cockrell said the unions are "misrepresenting" the library’s stance.
"KPL’s response regarding union proposals has been misrepresented by the unions and claims that the library has committed an Unfair Labor Practice are untrue," Cockrell said.
"We have and will continue to bargain in good faith."
KPL has moved to negotiate with each of the unions separately, after months of talks in which the three were bargaining together.
Cockrell also addressed this change in his email to WMUK, stating that negotiating with each union separately would improve the bargaining process.
"The library isn't required by law to negotiate jointly, but we were glad to try it when the unions asked. It is the first time we have ever attempted bargaining in this manner," Cockrell said.
"It worked well for shared contract language as we sought clarity between contracts. Since each union is recognized separately and has very different economic needs, negotiating separately lets us give each group the focused attention it deserves."
Soderberg criticized the change, which he said may allow KPL to approve a contract with one union and then deny pay improvements to the others.
"I do think it's a tactic to split us up and have each of us maybe potentially take a contract that would put the other units' asks at stake," Soderberg said.
"That happened in prior years where they offer a lot of money to one unit and then they go to the other unit and they say 'oh no we used all our money, we don't have enough to pay you your ask.'"
But Soderberg said he's confident the unions will stay united.
"We all meet as a council very regularly. We are constantly emailing each other," Soderberg said.
"Obviously, our units are different and have different asks, but it's all for the benefit of the library and for the benefit of the workers of the library in order for us to continue working all together and we intend to do that as much as possible. If they don't let us do it at the table, we'll do it outside the table."
However, in a follow-up email, Cockrell strongly denied Soderberg's accusations.
"This is false. KPL has always bargained with each unit individually and often not even in the same year. We have never played the interests of one unit against the other, that would not serve anyone’s interests and would not be in good faith," Cockrell said.
"Jack Soderberg is a valued employee at the library, but has never participated in bargaining at KPL before this year. Taking their claims as fact or their understanding of previous bargaining years as anything but second hand seems designed to be provocative and attract attention, but not to tell an accurate or balanced story.
"We remain in active bargaining with an initial mediation session scheduled for Monday. We enter the mediation process in good faith and seek a mutually beneficial solution. Because of our respect for the bargaining process, we do not wish to comment on specific details nor are we interested in negotiating in the public sphere."
