Library strike paused amid temporary agreement
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The roughly 400 Cleveland Public Library employees represented by SEIU 1199 called off their planned strike Monday after union and CPL negotiating teams reached a tentative contract agreement.
Why it matters: The 11th-hour negotiations prevented a work stoppage disrupting essential community services and limiting neighborhood branches to curbside pickup for the duration of the strike, which would have coincided with the start of the school year.
What we're hearing: Library staff members will vote on the new agreement Wednesday, SEIU spokesperson Nicole Sword tells Axios.
- If it is rejected, the strike will go forward on Thursday.
Catch up quick: Over 40 bargaining sessions over the past 11 months culminated last week in two marathon meetings that stretched into the early morning.
- When announcing the strike, SEIU said CPL's proposed wage increases were insufficient to compensate for proposed cuts to health care and other benefits.
- The proposals were especially galling, the union said, in light of CEO Felton Thomas Jr.'s "enormous salary" — more than $300,000 per year.
The other side: CPL said in a message to the community this weekend that it offered a 5% wage increase in the first year of the proposed contract, four weeks of paid parental leave, earlier access to increased vacation time and other benefits.
What they're saying: "We are proud to have reached an agreement that allows the Library to continue providing its five-star service to the community," Thomas said in a statement after Monday's agreement.
What's next: The library board will vote to ratify the agreement at a special meeting at noon Wednesday.