Tentative Agreement Reached!

Hello AALWU members,

You did it. WE did it.

The bargaining team is happy to report that management has agreed to include strong anti-discrimination protections for all union-represented AACPL workers in our first contract! For months, our administration prioritized their own liability over the well-being of library workers, telling us time and again that they were unwilling to allow standard non-discrimination protections into the contract.

But we said no — loudly, clearly, and with one voice (ok, maybe hundreds of voices). And because we did, AACPL workers will have a fair and expedient way to handle discrimination claims in the workplace. We can’t overstate the significance of this win, and it was only possible because we fought and made our voices heard. It’s what having a union is all about.

And that wasn’t the only win from the last bargaining session: we also secured an increase in our COLA for FY27. After reaching agreements on non-discrimination and wages, we can finally say that we have finalized a tentative contract with management.

What does this mean? It means that in the coming weeks, all AALWU members will have a chance to read through and learn about the contract before voting to ratify it. You’ll hear more about this process very soon so it’s important that you stay tuned and keep an eye out for updates!

We’ve worked hard to get to this point and the end is in sight for our first contract, but the work of keeping our union strong never stops. Once our contract is ratified, we’ll have lots of opportunities for folks to get involved (and stay involved) and help shape the future of our union. It will be rewarding, engaging, important work, and we encourage you to get involved in whatever ways you can.

In solidarity,

The AALWU Bargaining Team