Columbus Metropolitan Library employees begin voting on Tuesday to decide whether to unionize.
The vote is scheduled to take place by mail from June 16 through June 30, with votes counted on July 7.
The election comes after an estimated 600 eligible employees signed authorization cards in support of a vote to create a union. The employees would be represented by the Ohio Federation of Teachers.
Maria Lee, a Columbus Metropolitan Library United organizing committee member and local history and genealogy librarian at the library's Main Branch downtown, said workers wants to improve pay and benefits. But its goes beyond that.
"(It's about) having a legally-protected voice to make sure that our experiences on the front line of the library are meaningfully taken into account when making staffing decisions (and) policy decisions about the library," Lee said.
"We got cards signed by a majority of workers and filed for an election back in December, so we've been waiting for six long months for an election," Lee said.
In a statement, the library said: "Columbus Metropolitan Library respects the right of its employees who are for or against unionization. We encourage all eligible employees to participate in the voting process. CML will continue to comply with the law.
"CML is proud to offer competitive wages to both full- and part-time employees, along with a comprehensive benefits package and paid time off. Our compensation and benefits serve as a benchmark for libraries in our region and throughout Ohio," the statement said.
In April, the Ohio Federation of Teachers filed charges with the State Employment Relations Board alleging the library wrongfully fired a union organizer and distributed a flyer trying to disrupt the unionization effort.
