Haverstraw library workers join CSEA for stronger collective voice

Library Workers in Haverstraw Gain New Union Representation

In a significant move, employees at the Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library have taken a stand for their rights and voices by affiliating with a major labor union. This decision comes amid growing concerns over workplace representation and employee input.

Sajan Thomas, part of the IT department at the library located just north of New York City, expressed the staff’s newfound empowerment. “We were lions without any teeth, and now we are lions with teeth,” he stated, reflecting on the change in their collective bargaining power.

The library staff had become dissatisfied with the lack of influence they held in workplace decisions, particularly after a new employee manual was introduced without their consent. Seeking a stronger voice, they dissolved their previous staff association and joined CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000, which represents over 250,000 workers across New York state.

Choosing CSEA was a strategic decision after thorough research and discussions with other labor unions. The organizing drive adopted the slogan “Having Knowledge Develops Power Longer-term for Everybody,” cleverly tied to the library’s acronym.

Demonstrating swift and decisive action, the library workers garnered majority support for forming a new union. On May 5, they formally requested voluntary recognition from Library Director Claudia Depkin. Their efforts bore fruit in less than two weeks when the library board granted the request, following a board meeting attended by a significant number of workers and CSEA representatives.