Saturday, September 4, 2010

Layoffs hit Queens Library

From the Daily News:

More than 40 employees of the Queens Library will be laid off Friday after last-ditch negotiations to save their jobs fell through, officials said.

"The union is devastated by this loss," said John Hyslop, president of Local 1321, which represents library workers. "These are hard-working library employees. Morale is abysmal."

Library officials originally expected to slash about 400 positions because of a proposed cut in city funding. A large chunk of that was restored in the city budget, allowing it to rescind many of the pink slips handed out 90 days ago.

But the library said it still had a $2.4 million deficit and asked the union for givebacks. One of those would have stopped workers from carrying over vacation time.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

f*ck unions

Anonymous said...

f*ck unions
*****************************************************

I read you!

F. Scott Firesign said...

I read you!


I read only good books.

Anonymous said...

the library is the only good thing about the city.

this is sad.

still, FTU (f*** the unions)

Anonymous said...

Interesting that library trustee George Stamatiades can explain his support for a proposal to move the Dutch Kills millstones to the library if it is short on funding.

Seems that former library employee councilman Van Bramer is saying nothing to stop this, too.

Like to hear Library Chair Galente explain this to the community.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the union at the library can comment on the wisdom of transferring the millstones while their rank and file are being thrown out into the street.

Anonymous said...

Those who are interested can read the union's position on why they refused givebacks: Even if the union agreed to all of the givebacks, the Library still refused to guarantee that there would be no layoffs in a few months.

Someone needs to examine the Queens Library's books (no pun intended). Remember the slush fund scandal in the early 90s, where the Library was keeping all of the overdue fine money in a special account? The NYC Comptroller (Hevesi!) had to subpoena their books because the Library refused to cooperate.

The Library has money in its corporate account -- it just refuses to use it.

Anonymous said...

They don't need unions now. No organization does. In the past, it was form due to abusive employers without any protection law for the employees. Now, there are law protecting the employees and the union is just cream on the top where they are abusing the organization/employers now. So unions should not be needed because it's abusing the system and also whether the worker keeps their work/job is based on their friendliness and performance..not due to some unions.. Perfect example is the MTA..and also some guy who makes 150k just for pulling the train switch up or down which is something that any 10 years old can do.

Happy Labor Day to U 2 ! said...

Ever work in a coal mine? Walk the beams of a high rise?

Doubt it.

Anonymous said...

Perfect example is the MTA..and also some guy who makes 150k just for pulling the train switch up or down


Some yo yo with the right connections gets a job to run a company into the ground, throw 1000s of union members out of work and gets millions for his efforts?

Auntie Invasion said...

Is the QBPL going to end the New American's (illegal immigrants) program? I hope the people who got laid off are Russian, Chinese, South American and other recent immigrants. Keep the American's in the job.

Anonymous said...

Is the QBPL going to end the New American's (illegal immigrants) program? I hope the people who got laid off are Russian, Chinese, South American and other recent immigrants. Keep the American's in the job.

(written by a hack)

Anonymous said...

The laws protecting workers are in place, but without a union an individual does not have any practical recourse to enforce these laws. Employers take advantage of non union workers all the time. An individual is not in any position to challenge his employer, get fired for doing so, and then pursue legal recourse. Unions aren't perfect, and yes sometimes they protect individuals that don't deserve it, but they can and do prevent employer abuses.

Anonymous said...

And is this the first cutback as rumor has it? How many more in the union are going to lose jobs? And when are you going to start the threatened cut back on hours?

So why does the library have money to become a museum with the Queens Plaza millstones (even as the community cries foul) yet cuts its core services and lays off its employees?

A lot of people are starting to question priorities. Some one should look into this.

Anonymous said...

Why is it when you go to the library they have 4 or 5 copies of the worst movie titles on dvd? Must be the unions fault.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Perfect example is the MTA..and also some guy who makes 150k just for pulling the train switch up or down


Some yo yo with the right connections gets a job to run a company into the ground, throw 1000s of union members out of work and gets millions for his efforts?

Saturday, September 04, 2010
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If you know a guy who makes 150K for pulling a train switch, call the MTA Inspector General's office. They would love to hear about it.

Babs said...

"They don't need unions now. No organization does. "


HAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAAAAHHAHHHAHAHHAHHHAAAA . . . . catching my breath here . . . HHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHHHHA!!!!

Anonymous said...

was not a carpenter's union official recently convicted of accepting bribes to permit developers to hire illegal aliens? who work cheaper and less competent.

Babs said...

AND that means WHAT exactly?

THAT unions are bad? Hoffa was a big fkg crook - does that mean that the people that work in that union were crooks too? . . . ?

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how simply a tween can rack up a triple-digit fine for an overdue item from 2008.

Anonymous said...

The public libraries have five times the staff of the university libraries. And what do all these extra staff do? Busy bodies or they harass you tolobby for their jobs. In the universities, the machines do the work.