What we are
The Salt Lake City Public Library Workers Union is AFSCME Local #1004. On January 29, 2025, the Salt Lake City Public Library Board of Directors adopted the resolution recognizing AFSCME as the exclusive representative of eligible Library employees for purposes of negotiating hours, wages, and other conditions of employment. Our first collective bargaining agreement took effect on February 3, 2026 and runs through June 30, 2029.
We are a part of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — the largest public-service union in the United States, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
Who we represent
The contract defines the bargaining unit as eligible Library employees who are not management, executive, supervisory, or confidential staff, along with substitute employees who meet the contract's working-hours minimum. In practice this includes:
- Library associates and senior library associates
- Librarians (associate librarians, librarians, technology librarians)
- Audio-visual specialists
- Safety associates
- Community garden and events staff
- Social workers
- Maintenance technicians
- Substitute, temporary, and seasonal employees who meet eligibility thresholds
If you're not sure whether your classification is in the bargaining unit, ask a steward.
What we do
A union is your coworkers, organized. We do four main things:
1. Negotiate the contract
Every few years we sit down with Library management and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement covering wages, step progression, hours of work, overtime, leave, health insurance, parental leave, discipline procedures, layoff and recall, and a grievance process. The current contract is freely available to read or download.
2. Enforce the contract
A contract is only as good as its enforcement. When the Library doesn't follow what's written, the union has a structured grievance procedure that escalates from informal resolution through a final decision by the CEO. Disciplinary actions can also be grieved.
3. Represent individual members
Members have the right to a union representative during investigatory interviews and pre-disciplinary meetings. Stewards accompany members, advise on rights, and ensure due process is followed. This representation is owed to every member of the bargaining unit, whether or not they have signed a union card.
4. Build worker voice
Through quarterly labor-management meetings, member surveys, and day-to-day shop-floor organizing, the union pushes for a Library that serves both the public and the workers who make it run.
How decisions get made
The union is a democratic organization. Officers are elected by the membership. Bargaining team members participate in negotiations. Stewards represent specific work locations and departments. AFSCME provides staff support, training, and resources to the local. See the stewards and officers page for who currently holds each role.
A note on Utah
Utah is a "right-to-work" state, which means the union cannot require membership or fees as a condition of employment, even in a unionized workplace. Every eligible worker covered by the contract gets its benefits and protections regardless. But the union itself runs on the dues, time, and effort of its members. If you benefit from the contract, the most concrete way to keep it strong is to join.