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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by John Hyslop, President of Queens Library Guild, Local 1321, DC37
3:56:44
ยท
111 sec
John Hyslop, representing nearly 4,000 public library workers, testifies about the need for increased funding for libraries in New York City. He highlights issues of understaffing and low wages for library workers, which affect the quality of services provided to the community.
- Libraries are understaffed across various positions, leading to reduced services and increased workload for existing staff.
- Starting salaries for library workers are significantly low, with librarians starting at $66,000-$68,000 and clerical workers at only $33,000 per year.
- Hyslop calls for tripartite negotiations between the city council, mayor's office, and library worker unions to address staffing and retention problems.
John Hyslop
3:56:44
Alright.
3:56:45
Good afternoon Chairperson Rivera and committee members.
3:56:48
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to testify on behalf of the nearly 4,000 public library workers we represent, including librarians, clerical workers, call center reps, stock handlers, maintainers, custodians, public safety officers, and more.
3:57:02
We are grateful that last year, together with the city council, we successfully resisted cuts to libraries budgets.
3:57:09
But it must be acknowledged that when budgets stay the same, while the cost of everything else goes up, cuts have to be made by the libraries to stay level.
3:57:17
Library workers still need the city to increase funding to libraries because libraries are understaffed.
3:57:25
Across almost every title there are long standing vacancies.
3:57:28
Neighborhood library branches are opening with two staff members and no librarian.
3:57:32
This means library workers are doing work that used to be done by two or three people.
3:57:36
It means canceling programs and patrons waiting longer for help writing resumes or connecting with services.
3:57:42
Under staffing is bad for communities who depend on libraries to be reliable open public institutions.
3:57:48
And library workers are underpaid.
3:57:51
Librarian salaries start at 66,000 to 68,000 a year, which is too low for New York.
3:57:57
And a new clerical worker starts at less than half of that at only 33,000.
3:58:01
A new custodian starts at 37,000.
3:58:03
And our public safety officers who are so desperately needed to keep our patrons and workers safe start at 39,000.
3:58:09
These are not living wages.
3:58:11
In the past libraries have used their budgets to increase salaries above the minimum rates to recruit and retain valuable public servants.
3:58:18
With this funding increase, we encourage the city council and mayor's office to press the library systems to enter into tripartite negotiations with library worker unions to find answers to our staffing and retention problems.
3:58:30
When books aren't in place on the shelves, when the bathrooms aren't clean, when patrons don't feel safe, the community suffers.