Local 374 -- Quasi Public Employees

March 24, 2008

Local 374 President testimony at City Hall Library Budget Hearings

Good afternoon Chairman Recchia and Committee Members. As many of you may already know, my name is Cuthbert Dickenson, and I am the President of Local 374 representing several titles at the New York Public Library in three boroughs, Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx. It is with great pleasure that I am able to come before you today with an opportunity to share some of the concerns that we at Local 374 have been deliberating for the past six months after being advised that the New York City Public Library has made a radical shift in its policy and will be closing several key structures as it relates to our membership.

It’s been some time that we were before you regarding matters concerning equity issues as they relate to employees of the New York Public Library Institution. At that time we were encouraged and exuberant about the Council’s generous award of $20 Million that was granted to the New York Public Library that was made available to make provisions for the library to extend its hours of operation to accommodate library patrons while at the same time to provide continued, consistent employment for longtime employees and new hires.

What appears to be a substantial shift in policy on the part of the New Public Library, has resulted in a post 911 staffing which is now requiring those who remain to pick up Additional work responsibility beyond the regularly assigned tasks. Some of the most newly reported complaints have been critical of the daily upkeep of the buildings. In short, the staff members are now being expected to do more with fewer resources.

It is now with the pending closing of Donnell, Mid-Manhattan, The Annex, Sybil and other buildings that have raised the level for review and consideration of how the new shift in policy is presently affecting our membership and the public at large as well as to consider long-range implications. Presently, we have 60 % of our members who have at least 10 years of employment with the New York Public Library. 70 % of all members polled, stated that they are not sure if they will continue to have a job in the near future as they have been in a state of uncertainty. Subsequently, they continue to read about the closings of the buildings that they are employed.

I feel very confident in saying that all of our members are proud to work for the great institution of the New York Public Library and represent it in such a manner that exudes pride. It is only in good moral conscience that employees and the union leadership be informed of all next steps on the part of the New York Public Library that are impactful. In the best case scenario, we are hopeful that a collaborative process could be embraced by both sides that will diligently work toward a fair, equitable and transparent mechanism that addresses the concerns laid out here today and that could also ensure that hard working employees do not loose their livelihood.

We greatly appreciate the level of support and respect that has been shown our membership by the City Council in the past and we earnestly hope that through evaluation and/or recommendation, the Council would be able to assist with the crafting of a long-range plan of actions to bode well for the numbers of members employed at the New York Public Library.

President:Cuthbert Dickenson

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