The following Letter comes from the office of Town Manager Christopher Whelan.

Citizens of Concord,

As many of you are aware, the Town of Concord has been notified by the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, Council 93 (AFSCME) that a "strong majority" of Library employees have signed a card expressing interest in being represented by AFSCME. A number of Town boards, committees, citizen groups and individuals have inquired about the situation. As an employer, the Town is prohibited from interfering or "taking sides” in a labor organizing initiative, so this letter is simply intended to provide you with the Town's perspective by providing answers to the following questions.

ls the decision to unionize Concord Library staff final?

• According to AFSCME, it has obtained signed authorization cards from a "strong majority” of Library employees. Town representatives are now providing information to the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations (DLR) that will be used to decide which positions are appropriate to include in a bargaining unit. Once the scope of the bargaining unit has been defined and the number of people employed in unit positions has been confirmed, the DLR will determine what percentage of those employees signed cards. lf the union has valid cards from more than 50% of those employees, the DLR will likely certify the union. lf a majority has not been obtained, but at least 30% of those employees have signed, there will be a secret ballot election to determine whether or not AFSCME will be recognized as the exclusive representative of the bargaining unit.

Is the Town taking any action to discourage or prevent the employees from organizing the union?

• Legally, the Town and its agents, including Town boards and committees, cannot discourage union activity while a petition for certification is pending. This means we cannot promise to resolve issues that have been raised, offer new benefits or make changes in working conditions. Accordingly, while the Town has provided employees with information about the process, we have not and will not take action to discourage them from organizing.

What events led Library employees to begin the process of organizing a union?

• We understand that many citizens would like to have more information than what has appeared in the newspaper or has been discussed by Town officials. Legally, Town officials cannot question employees concerning the reasons for their union activity. While Town management is aware of some events where Library management and some employees expressed different views and perspectives on internal Library issues, it would be inappropriate, and potentially illegal, to publicly speculate what employees are feeling and why. 

What is the Town’s position regarding the Union?

• The Town takes no position about how employees should exercise their individual right to join, or refrain from joining, a union. We want all employees to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats or coercion from anyone. Overall, our position is that a Library collective bargaining unit is unnecessary and not in the best interests of the Town, its citizens, or its employees. As an employer, the Town strives to promote mutual trust and respect. At times, management and employee perspectives naturally differ and we go through periods where it takes time to resolve conflict or stress experienced within a branch of our organization. This is no different than any other employer-employee relationship. When such periods are experienced, we believe that the Town is more effective in finding resolution when we interact directly with our employees, without the presence of a third party that could be influenced by a larger outside group, to address concerns in a collegial manner. While we do not believe that the unionized model would be effective for Concord's library employees, we do respect relationships with unions and would have no problem working with AFSCME rather than individual employees if that is desired by the majority of employees.

Why isn't town management providing more detailed information?

• We appreciate that citizens want to know more about the situation. We believe in the importance of open and transparent government; however, federal and state laws often limit what we can disclose about personnel matters. As a result, management is at times placed in a difficult position where we cannot discuss all details related to an employee matter, even to correct misinformation that may be spreading among employees and/or outside parties. Accordingly, we respectfully defer to the systems established by federal, state and local laws to guide us through this process.

Who is responsible for addressing employee matters? What is the role of elected officials?

• The citizens of Concord established a "strong town manager" form of government through their adoption of the Town Charter. The Charter provides a structure where employee matters and labor disputes are addressed by the Town Manager rather than individual boards and committees. Involvement by the Board of Selectmen occurs only if the Town Manager fails to perform his responsibilities and when all other prescribed available channels for resolution of an issue have been utilized. This structure has promoted a stable and high-performing workforce operating within uniform rules and standards applicable across all town departments. While issues can and do arise in any work environment, Concord town government has established and has long maintained clear and successful channels for internal communication and resolution of such matters.

How will services provided to citizens change due to the situation between employees and management?

• While there may be some issues that management and employees, with or without a union, will work together to resolve, we are confident that the citizens of Concord will continue to experience outstanding library services. Employees at all levels of the Library organization remain committed to providing you with a high level of service in support of the Concord Library Department's mission to inspire lifelong learning and to actively promote personal enrichment by connecting community members to information, ideas, culture, unique historical resources, and each other in a tradition of innovation and excellence.

In summary, we respect the fact that employees can decide whether to organize and bargain collectively and will continue to value, respect, and support them regardless of which decision they make. Whatever the outcome of the organizing effort, we remain committed to maintaining the very high standards for helpful and friendly customer service the residents of Concord have come to  expect.

Sincerely,

Christopher Whelan, Town Manager

Amy Foley, Human Resources Director