Know Your Rights – Unit 17 Librarians
Documented Workload Duties
A Statement of Responsibility (SOR) must be provided to new librarians within 30 days of hire and after each merit/promotion review period. Significant additions to a librarian’s assignment must be added to the SOR in a timely manner and signed off on by the librarian and supervisor.
Regular Raises and Peer Review
In 2019, after more than a year of negotiations, UC-AFT librarians won a contract that included significant pay raises in which the total guaranteed cumulative benefit was about 25% over the length of the contract. The salary improvements were structured to provide greater increases to librarians on the lowest end of the pay scale.
We also fought to ensure that our promotion process remained grounded in peer review that reflects our academic training and experience.
Academic Freedom
Librarians have the right and responsibility to speak the truth within the bounds of their professional expertise when engaged in teaching, research, scholarship, or the public dissemination of knowledge. Their protections for academic freedom are outlined in the Academic Personnel Manual.
Healthcare and Benefits
Librarians hired at 50% or more may participate in the retirement, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and many other UC benefit programs.
Professional Development Funds
Currently, each campus receives a contract-specified annual professional development funding allocation, which is then divided equally amongst represented librarians based on headcount at the respective campus at the beginning of the fiscal year. In addition, the contract provides for a special University-wide research fund that is managed by the Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC)
In our 2024 contract campaign, we are fighting for a per-librarian allotment of a minimum of $3,000/year in professional development funding of all UC librarians. We want to ensure librarians are eligible to submit grant or research proposals designating themselves as Principal Investigator (PI) without the need for requesting exceptions under campus contract and grant policies. We are fighting for meaningful recognition of our academic training and professional status and of the foundational role we play in advancing research and teaching at our university.
Discrimination-free Workplace
Our union contract affords us protections against sexual harassment and discrimination based on race, religion, disability, gender identity, ethnicity, and immigration status.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Flexibility in terms of both work schedule and work site as well as accommodations to protect the health and well-being of librarians and the environment. These protections proved crucial during the pandemic and protected librarians’ ability to negotiate flexible work arrangements.
Paid Family and Research Leave
As a Unit 17 Librarian, you have access to:
- 8 weeks of Pay for Family Care and Bonding for employees hired at 100%.
- 2 months unpaid leave for Research.
