Library district approves changes in union agreement

Angela Soo

Friday, July 13, 2001 | 10:34 a.m.

The Clark County Library District Board on Thursday approved a series of revised labor agreements with the Teamsters Union.

The existing three-year contracts expired June 30. The new contracts are the second formal labor agreements between the library district and its union employees.

Library district employees were unionized in August 1998, Bud Pierce, associate director of human resources for the library district, said.

Officials hope to implement the new five-year contracts by Aug. 1.

Ed Alvarado, a business agent for Teamsters Local 14, said major issues involved compensation and health insurance.

"I think the most important modifications to the agreement are the health insurance and cost of living adjustment," Alvarado said.

The library district adopted the Teamsters Security Fund for Southern Nevada as its health insurance provider. It would provide the same coverage for about 30 percent less than the library's previous health insurance company, Kay Godbey, chief financial officer for the library district, said.

Angel Avila, a department head for the Young People's Library in Green Valley, said the new agreement, which came after six months of negotiations, was a "vast improvement for family security."

Scheduling conflicts and dealing with four different union groups within the district prolonged labor negotiations.

"I felt we were dealt very good compromises with the new health insurance and cost of living increase," Avila said.

The library board approved 10 significant modifications to the previous agreement, which included a cost of living adjustment for the next five years, changes in layoff standards -- the most recent hires will be terminated first -- and mandatory drug testing before employment, after accidents and as a result of reasonable suspicion by supervisors.

Pierce said unionized library workers account for 90 percent of all full-time employees, or about 300 people. Covered staff include maintenance crews, librarians, clerical support staff, library administrators, technicians and business accountants.

Nonunionized workers will also benefit from the new agreement by taking the same health insurance coverage and cost of living adjustments offered to union employees.

"The union extended the same courtesy to the rest of the full-time uncovered employees who are eligible, which is 25 people," Pierce said. "We're very happy about that because it's hard to get a group rate for only 25 people."

The library currently allocates 61 percent of its budget to employees' salaries and benefits. With the new contract, Godbey predicts a .5 percent increase over the 61 percent allocation.