Bringing the human back into research
The years-long disinvestment in our UC libraries threatens our careers, our families, and the communities we serve. UC campus administrators will spend millions on expensive software platforms, streaming media services, and inflated contracts for scholarly publications while underfunding user services that students rely on. UC Librarians’ wages have failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living, making it more difficult to recruit and retain excellent librarians. Library administrators often refuse to hire new librarians when positions are empty, resulting in speed-ups in our working conditions and increases in our workload. Great libraries need great librarians to make them work.
UC-AFT librarians work together to push back against budget cuts, library closures, and unethical hiring practices that undermine our professional status as librarians and prevent us from doing our most important work.
Chronic understaffing forces us to take on greater responsibilities and scope of work without additional compensation or acknowledgment of the other responsibilities of our jobs.
We are fighting for meaningful recognition of our academic training and professional status and of the foundational role we play in advancing research and teaching at our university. Together, we are fighting for a better UC where experience is valued and every worker is treated with dignity and respect.
At the same time, right-wing book bans and attacks on public and K-12 libraries are increasing, threatening the values of free speech, inclusion, and access to knowledge that we hold dear. Library workers provide vital services to their communities and our university. We stand with our fellow library workers to defend the value of their work and the role of librarians in building a more just and equitable world.
OUR COMMITMENT
in our 2023 contract negotiations, we are committed to:
01
Fighting for Equity
Strengthening the protections in our non-discrimination article (Article 2) to be more explicit about race, ethnicity, religion, disability, and gender identity in order to ensure our UC Libraries are diverse and inclusive spaces.
02
Improving Wages
Ensuring librarians are adequately compensated for all of the work they do to advance scholarship, research, and teaching at our university.
03
Workload + Job Security
Protecting against increases in workload caused by chronic understaffing to buttress against reductions in services.
04
Academic Freedom
Building on protections won in our 2019 contract by further defending our academic status against de-professionalization and ensuring UC-wide PI status for librarians.
05
Flexible Work Arrangements
Flexible work schedules and worksite accommodations to protect the health and well-being of librarians and the environment.
06
Professional Development
Expanding access to professional development funds so librarians may build and share their expertise.