SUPPORT LIBRARY WORKERS • 3 UNIONS • 3 ASKS
The info in this PSA is from the SUPPORT LIBRARY WORKERS zine!
ALL 3 UNIONS
Have been in bargaining since mid-April, with all contracts expired as of June 30th, 2026.
We need your support to secure fair and living wages for all Library workers and settle our contracts!
The three unions:
UKPLA — Part-time Aides & CustodiansKPLA — LibrariansKPLSP — Library Assistants & Facilities Mgmt.
★ LIVING WAGE FOR UKPLA!
Hourly staff makes $15.30 an hour but are capped at 29.5 hours a week. Many aides are limited to only 20 hr/wk by their job descriptions.
The majority of aides are facing losing healthcare coverage by being kicked off of Medicaid without enough income to afford marketplace plans. They will continue to fall behind with the soaring cost of living in Kalamazoo.
Hourly workers need a living wage now — at least $21/hr in Kalamazoo according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator.
KPL is only offering $16.34/hr as of 8/31.
★ FAIR WAGE FOR EXPERTISE!
Did you know it takes up to 15 years for a Librarian or Library Assistant (LA) to make their full wage?
Every year until they reach their full, competitive wage, employees receive a step up towards it. These steps represent gained experience and expertise in the field.
However, the Library wants to treat these steps as a cost of living adjustment.
Full-time staff need a cost of living raise on top of their steps. The cost of living rise the Library has proposed as of 8/31 for full-time staff is 1.375% — far behind inflation and much less than the average 3.7% increase in KPL Administrator salaries.
Additionally, the Library’s proposal makes it impossible for workers to be paid the same amount of money for the same work — a Librarian or LA hired today will never reach the same pay as a colleague with the same exact job until that person retires.
★ KEEP AIDES ON DESKS!
Aides for a long time have been the faces of KPL’s smaller branches, providing invaluable assistance directly to patrons.
Library Administration wants to take aides away from this front-facing role at public desks. They want to force aides hired to work at a small branch to travel downtown or to Oshtemo just to work the hours they’re currently working at only one branch.
Many aides don’t want to work at multiple locations. If they are unable to travel, the Library plans to cut their hours.
You may no longer see your favorite library staff member at a branch and may need to wait much longer to receive assistance.
The Library wants to make this unnecessary cut in customer service and all 3 unions stand against it.
Help us keep aides at the desks and ready to serve you!
The Library is now in mediation with ALL 3 UNIONS.
KPL’s bargaining team has been unwilling to listen to us — a mediator can help us be heard, but we also need our community to help make the Library listen!
WANT TO HELP?
You can call or email our Library Director and Board of Trustees members to share your feelings and demand they offer fair, living wages now and stop plans to remove aides from desk work!
Follow the QR code or unfold this zine to read our sample talking points when communicating with the Director or Board!
CONTACT INFO
Michael Cockrell, Library Director
(269) 553-7841
Board of Trustees
Doria Bonner, President DoriaB@kpl.gov
Jannie Williams, Vice-President JannieW@kpl.gov
Brenda Hughes, Secretary BrendaH@kpl.gov
Lisa Godfrey, Treasurer LisaG@kpl.gov
Emily Greenman-Wright EmilyG@kpl.gov
Takisha Johnson TakishaJ@kpl.gov
Ian Kennedy IanK@kpl.gov
View the physical zine!!!
