NEWS

  • Members & Patrons: Tell your alders to fully fund CPL!

    BUTTONS ALERT!! Local 1215 has buttons for staff to wear this budget season. The message is “Ask Me About Layoffs”– read more below on how you can respond, and how to speak to your own alder. step 1: wear a button, talk to patrons! [FYI! Wearing a union button in the workplace is a protected…

  • takeaways on the mayor’s proposed 2026 budget for cpl: Quiet layoffs & more

    Last week, the Mayor’s Office released its proposed 2026 budget for the City, with projected allocations for all departments including Chicago Public Library. There ARE some good things in this budget. It proposes corporate head and social media taxes, along with a designation of TIF surpluses, in line with the progressive revenue platform endorsed by…

  • What am I supposed to be doing?

    ICE + Militarized police are in Chicago: 6 things you can do right now This post was written by Local 1215 member Diana Rocha. I’ve been asking myself this question, “What am I supposed to be doing?” – on a personal level, as an everyday library worker, and as a union member. First – living…

  • 2026 budget proposal includes quiet layoffs

    Local 1215 Members, On Thursday, October 16, the Mayor’s office shared their 2026 budget proposal with the city. (Full text on the City Clerk’s website, jump to page 145 to see the section about the library.) Yesterday, the Better Government Association dropped their preliminary analysis of the budget. This budget strives to bolster the city…

  • UPDATE: COUNCIL 31 REPORT ON HEALTH AND SAFETY AT CPL

    This post was written by Local 1215 member Izabel Gronski. At the August 22nd General Membership Meeting, staff representatives from AFSCME Council 31 shared a 12 page report on The Health and Safety Emergency in Chicago Public Libraries. The purpose of this report is to highlight a sample of ongoing issues that make our jobs…

  • Statement on the WGN News Story on Chicago Public Library Incidents & Safety

    Safety issues are an ever-present worry for Chicago Public Library staff, and our union, Local 1215, works continually to push the City and CPL leadership to address these issues. Last month, several news outlets, including WGN, approached AFSCME Council 31 with questions about recent safety incidents at Harold Washington Library Center (HWLC). These incidents—including a…

  • Interview: what’s it like to attend convention?

    Every two years, AFSCME hosts an international convention for delegates from locals, councils and retiree chapters. At the International Convention resolutions are passed that guide actions AFSCME takes as a whole, and changes to the international constitution can be proposed. While most members may be familiar with the call for delegates and the voting process,…

  • Written comment on the 2025 cpl budget

    Chicago City Council held a hearing on Friday, November 8th, 2024, concerning the 2025 budgetary recommendations for Chicago Public Library. The proposed budget would cut 50 full-time equivalent vacancies at CPL. AFSCME Local 1215 submitted the following written statement to City Council in advance of the hearing: We, the members of the Chicago Public Library…

  • 2025-2027 Officer nominations and statements

    Statements from the nominees for AFSCME Local 1215’s Executive Board.

  • June 2024 Labor Updates

    CHICAGO LABOR NEWS Trader Joe’s at Lincoln & Grace Ties in Union Election A North Center Trader Joe’s is the latest store in the grocery chain to file for a union election with the National Labor Review Board (NLRB). The store at 3745 N. Lincoln Ave. recently voted to unionize and tied with 70-70 votes.…