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Anne Arundel County Public Library workers ratify first union contract in unanimous vote

Photo credit: AFSCME Maryland Council 3
Anne Arundel County Public Library workers ratify first union contract in unanimous vote
By AFSCME Maryland ·
Tags: Momentum

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Workers across the Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) system ratified their first union contract in a unanimous vote last week. After nearly one year of negotiations with the AACPL Board of Library Trustees, Anne Arundel Library Workers United, AFSCME Maryland Council 3, reached a tentative agreement in late June.   

"I’m so proud of this contract and to be a part of a union that fought to the very end to ensure we have strong protections against discrimination,” said Ryan Morris, a part-time hourly information worker at the Severn branch. 

Wednesday’s vote represents a final step towards securing a historic first contract that contains pay increases, increased workplace rights and stronger protections against workplace discrimination for AACPL workers.  

Highlights include:  

"The ratification process is the culmination of almost a year of work designing a contract that all parties agreed to,” said Lisa Shore, a part-time hourly information worker at the Odenton branch . “It is very exciting and a chance to build a library system that supports our amazing staff so we can support the communities we serve.” 

This new contract covers more than 400 library workers. That includes full-time and part-time staff, as well as non-supervisory and supervisory staff, from all 16 branches and the headquarters of the Anne Arundel County Public Library system.   

Sabrina Razvi, a library associate at the Severn branch, said, “I’m excited to have our first union contract that will contribute to a more secure and just work environment for everyone. This is the power of having a collective voice — so we can advocate for the best library system possible that meets the needs of our library patrons.” 

Anne Arundel Library Workers United is part of a national movement of workers that have unionized with AFSCME Maryland in recent years as part of AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United, including workers at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Howard County Library System, and the Walters Art Museum.  

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