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Library workers Wednesday railed against library trustees and a director who they said have ignored their concerns while cutting seven jobs. 

“In 34 years with the library, I’ve never seen morale so low or the staff so angry,” said library employee Anne-Marie Miller at the Library Board of Trustees meeting.  

Holding back tears, reference librarian Andrea Moss addressed Library Director Jackie Griffin: “We don’t know how to have a conversation with you and we need to.” 

In response to a $850,000 budget shortfall, Griffin proposed a restructuring plan for board approval aimed at maintaining service levels while cutting staff to balance its books. The board, as expected, held off voting on the budget plan until its April meeting. 

Griffin’s plan originally called for 12 layoffs out of a staff of 157, but due to five recent resignations at the library, Griffin said approximately seven staff members would lose their jobs. 

Trustee Terry Powell said the board was considering holding a public workshop on the budget before the next board meeting. Beginning next week the union will begin talks with city officials over the plan. Previously the talks only involved library officials. 

Library employees dominated the public comment session and lambasted both Griffin and the board for not addressing staff concerns or giving them a formal time during the meeting to present their arguments. 

“We have city councilmembers talking to us, but you are our City Council and we can’t talk to you,” Librarian Claudia Morrow told the board. “How else can you understand what it’s like to work at the library?” 

Employees argue that Griffin’s proposal disproportionately targets lower level workers for layoffs, while leaving management jobs largely untouched. 

With the goal of creating a more flexible workforce, Griffin has proposed cutting mostly lower level positions, while offering many of the remaining employees in lower classifications the opportunity for promotions to higher paying jobs with a wider range of duties.  

“There’s so much fear that people aren’t listening to the opportunities we’re offering them,” Griffin said. 

Much of the check-out work currently done by staff is anticipated to be eliminated this July when the library completes installing Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFIDs) on its materials.  

Griffin has not yet formally responded to union cost saving suggestions to avoid layoffs, including reducing work weeks from 40 hours to 37.5 hours, eliminating managerial positions and instituting voluntary and mandatory time off programs. 

After Wednesday’s meeting, Griffin said she was open to some of the union cost savings proposals. However, she remained concerned that mandatory time off would result in library closures and reduced work weeks could disqualify some part-time employees from receiving benefits. 

During its debate, the board never mentioned the union’s proposals. Instead, it listened to presentations from library managers who framed the discussion as a choice between Griffin’s restructuring plan or cutting jobs without any restructuring. 

Griffin attributed the library’s deficit to soaring pension contributions that this year are estimated to cost 21 percent of each employee’s salary. Last year, facing a $600,000 deficit, the library reduced its hours and closed its doors on Sundays. The current shortfall is estimated at $850,000, down from Griffin’s original estimate of $1 million. Griffin said the deficit figured had changed because of savings achieved by not immediately replacing departed senior managers. 

After the meeting, employees continued to fume over Griffin’s stewardship of the library. 

“Many of the staff have lost confidence in the overall ability of the director to lead the library,” said Librarian Tom Dufour. 

“She’s threatened everyone with layoffs. She thought she could push through this reorganization without any union input,” said Jane Scantlebury, a reference librarian.  

Griffin maintained that she meets monthly with the staff, keeps an open e-mail dialog, and has frequently discussed her budget plans. 

“We do everything we can think of to be open and honest with them,” she said.