On the picket line

Cleveland library workers ready to strike

Workers at the Cleveland Public Library, some of whom make less than $17 an hour, authorized a strike by a nearly unanimous vote on July 12. Represented by Service Employees Union (SEIU) Local 1199, they will strike on Aug. 24 if an agreement is not reached by then. Other unresolved contract issues include benefits and working conditions.

Vanessa Dalesandro, regional director of SEIU District 1199, said in a statement: “The truth is simple: Library workers deserve respect, they deserve a fair contract, and they deserve a library administration that values the people who keep this library system running every day.” (cleveland.com, July 28)

As a buildup to a potential strike, library workers and supporters picketed a forum that featured library CEO Felton Thomas Jr. on July 22.

Attorneys strike in New York City, Detroit

Lawyers who represent low-income clients are on strike in New York City and Detroit against the agencies they work for.

Attorneys at Brooklyn Defenders ended a five-day strike on July 22, but a strike began at Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem two days later. Attorneys at Bronx Defenders went on strike July 27. Salaries and benefits are the core issues for the strikers, who all belong to United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2325.

Local 2325 also represents striking attorneys in Metro Detroit, who have been out since July 24. UAW President Shawn Fain spoke at the picket line on July 28. Wayne County Courts have retaliated against at least one striking attorney, Joe McGuire, charging him with contempt of court for failing to report for a court appearance.

Pennsylvania healthcare workers in the fight

Workers at Mount Nittany Medical Center in Pennsylvania — registered nurses, emergency department technicians, lab technicians, skilled maintenance, phlebotomists, certified nurse aides, environmental services aides, radiology technologists, nutrition workers and others — held a five-day strike from July 27 to July 31. Beginning in the early morning, the members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania carried signs reading “Raise our wages, not our blood pressure” and chanted, “Nittany, Nittany, you can’t hide! We can see your greedy side!”

Main issues in the strike are staffing levels and wages. After the planned strike ended, the union members still did not have a contract. Union investigators have concluded that the hospital can well afford to meet its demands.