Street Politics : KPL Aides Fight for $15/hr
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What KPL Aides are asking for. The actual petition from Change.org
Library aides and hourly custodians are the largest group of employees at KPL. We are a diverse group of employees and perform a wide variety of tasks within the Library, providing customer service, circulation tasks, helping with program preparation, among many other things. If you are a regular patron, you have probably interacted with us many times. We work for the library because we are passionate about serving our community. We have recently formed a union and are currently negotiating our first contract with the Library.
During our recent negotiations, KPL administration gave us a wage proposal of $12/hr, going up to $12.74 for the 2024/25 fiscal year. Not only is this not a living or a competitive wage, it is actually less than some employees are already making. These employees (who have already not seen a raise for over a year) would not see a raise until at least 2025. This is an unsustainable situation in an environment where we have seen an immense rise in the cost of living just over the past year. We feel that in these times, a wage of $15 an hour is appropriate and achievable for KPL.
KPL is a cherished institution in Kalamazoo, and we love working for the Library. But under current conditions it’s simply unsustainable for many of us. We are asking for the library to live up to its professed progressive values and compensate all employees fairly!
https://www.change.org/p/kalamazoo-public-library-kpl-aides-fight-for-15-hr
Let KPL Board Trustees know that your support KPL Aides Fight for $15! Click>>>KPL Board
McDowell and Quintin Bryant according to the Facebook post.