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Elk Grove library negotiating new employee contract

Elk Grove Village Public Library officials have negotiated a new labor agreement with unionized employees who have been working under terms of the old contract since last May.

Elk Grove is one of the few libraries in Illinois - and likely one of the smallest - whose employees are represented by a union.

That's been the case in Elk Grove since 1996, according to Library Director Debra Nelson.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor union represents employees at a dozen libraries in Illinois, including Elk Grove. Municipalities with unionized librarians also include Chicago, Rockford, Aurora, Evanston, Berwyn and Decatur.

"It's not unique to Elk Grove, but it's not common either," Nelson said.

About 60 to 70 Elk Grove Library employees, from circulation clerks to maintenance workers, are represented by the union. That covers all full- and part-time employees except managerial staff.

The union membership has already ratified the new 4-year contract, and the library board was set to vote on it Tuesday night, but it was pulled from the agenda since some wording is still being fine-tuned, Nelson said.

Representatives of the board and union have been negotiating since last spring, meeting at least once a month.

Though the draft of the contract hasn't been released, Nelson said it proposes salary increases.

"There's been some changes, but nothing dramatic," she said.

Colin Theis, an AFSCME staff representative on the Elk Grove library union bargaining team, said negotiations dragged on for a while, but weren't contentious.

"By the time we got to the end, I think it's a very fair agreement for the library and employees," Theis said.

The agreement is expected to be voted on by the library board Feb. 2.

When approved, the contract will be retroactive to May 1, 2015, and will expire April 30, 2019.

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