I am an hourly worker at the Mountain View Public Library (MVPL), where I have been working for many years. I love my job and I am proud to serve the community, but I am also frustrated by the unfair treatment that I and my fellow hourly workers face every day.
The MVPL relies on hourly workers to keep the library running, yet denies us basic benefits such as healthcare, PTO, and retirement matching. These benefits are essential for our well-being and security, especially during a pandemic. Without them, we are exposed to health risks, financial hardships, and stress. Despite the Library admitting we are understaffed, hourly workers are not allowed to exceed a total cap of hours per year. This means that despite being highly qualified and willing to work more, we aren't allowed to work more hours, even when the library administration agrees that we are short staffed. The reason we can't work more? Because then the library would have to give us the same benefits that permanent employees receive.
This policy is not only unjust, but also harmful to the library and the community. It creates a high turnover rate among hourly workers, who often leave for better opportunities elsewhere. It also reduces the quality of service that the library can provide, as hourly workers are not given enough respect, support, or recognition for their work. It also undermines the morale and solidarity of the library staff, who are divided into two unequal classes of workers.
The library is a vital public resource that deserves adequate funding and staffing. Hourly workers are essential to the library's mission and should be treated with respect and dignity. Before hiring new employees, hourly workers should be given the opportunity to take on more hours, even if it means earning benefits. The policy of permanently keeping a second class tier of workers underemployed must end. Healthcare is a human right.
Please join me in advocating for change by flooding the new page opening with applications. Find it here: https://www.calopps.org/mountain-view/job-20414975. If you have an extra 10 or 15 minutes, I'd really appreciate it. The listing cuts off at 50 applications, so hopefully we can fill it with people who have no interest in a minimum wage job with no benefits and no prospect for advancement. Maybe then they'll be forced to consider letting existing employees work more hours and earn benefits.
Sincerely,
An Hourly Worker at MVPL