In March 2025, library workers in Charles County Public Library successfully unionized with UFCW 1994. CCPL has already cancelled Hoopla (digital lending) and discontinued Chromebook lending. In July, Executive Director KennethWayne Thompson cut the library's book budget by 25% and drastically cut their digital collections budget. All so he can pay $250,000 to Jackson Lewis - a notorious union-busting law firm that has been hired by Amazon, Google, Tesla, and numerous universities.

After 10 months of dragged out negotiations, the library workers are reaching an impasse and will most likely enter a lengthy arbitration process that is both time consuming and expensive. Going into arbitration will not just waste more library money but ensure that the library workers will be going without their wage increases this July. And even if the library workers get a good contract, there’s a precedent in Maryland for library administrators to recoup the money they wasted by indiscriminately firing their employees.

The public deserves a library that spends more money on books than on lawfare. The public deserves a library that understands how vital librarians are to their community and that they deserve a voice in their workplace. The public deserves a library that treats their library workers with dignity and respect. If you agree, it’s time to let the library’s Board know how you feel.

By completing this form, you will send an email to Commissioner Amanda Stewart, Chris Alberts, who is currently running for Board of Education, and the rest of the CCPL Board of Trustees urging them to:

• Fire Jackson Lewis
• Negotiate in good faith with your employees
• Hold the CCPL Directors accountable