St. Charles Library union, management team to bring in mediator for ongoing negotiations

The union for St. Charles Public Library employees and the library's management bargaining team are bringing in a mediator to help with negotiations that started in April 2022.

According to a news release from the library, the two sides have "successfully reached more than 50 tentative agreements to date."

"Last fall, the parties began negotiating over economic terms and conditions of employment, including wages, group health insurance and other benefits," the release stated. "Recently, the parties jointly requested the assistance of a neutral mediator as they continue to negotiate final terms for the initial collective bargaining agreement. The library is hopeful that, with the assistance of a mediator, the parties will reach an agreement in the near future."

In July 2021, the majority of employees at the library filed to form a union through the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 31. The union currently represents 83 St. Charles Public Library staff members.

Union staff representative Carla Williams said Wednesday that bringing in a mediator is an attempt to reach a fair agreement.

"Our intent in jointly requesting federal mediation is with the hope of being able to reach an agreement with the employer that both works for library workers and assists us in providing good services for the patrons," Williams said. "Mediation is a process that is supposed to assist with cultivating better collaboration, and we hope that the library is approaching bringing in a mediator with the same intent that we have, which is, we would like to reach a fair agreement."

• Shaw Local News Network staff writer Eric Schelkopf contributed to this report.