Library Workers Win

A yearlong battle to protect workers rights and stop unionbusting at the Library of Congress (LOC) ended with a major victory for workers Wednesday, reports the LOC Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910 website. "This dispute had broad ramifications for the protection of employees rights and union rights in the federal sector," Local 2910 President Saul Schniderman told UNION CITY. LOC management - after losing a fight to force union representatives to report all representational time last year (LOC Workers Beat Unionbusting Tactics 7/25/07 UC) -- moved to limit workers' privacy rights by requiring union officials to keep records of members who seek union assistance (Labor Updates 9/13/07 UC). But a decision by a federal panel Wednesday struck down management's demands and adopted the union's position on the issue. "We are pleased that we received a fair hearing and that the panel sided with us in this dispute," Schniderman said. "Thanks to the solidarity of our members and the campaign waged on our behalf by the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO, we were able to prevail."