AFSCME Local 3758

Representing the employees of Timberland Regional Library.

  • Timberland Library Workers Union Reaffirms Support for Intellectual Freedom and LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Public Libraries

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/17/2026

    MEDIA CONTACT: Beth Gawne, (425) 312-4201

    TUMWATER, WA — AFSCME Council 2 Local 3758-B, the union representing most Timberland Regional Library (TRL) workers, denounces the list of “desired outcomes” for TRL written by Board of Trustees President Brian Mittge and the harmful views it expresses.

    As library workers, we are committed to protecting First Amendment rights and upholding core library values of intellectual freedom—the principle, as defined by the American Library Association, that “every person has the right to access information from all points of view, in all formats, and without restriction.” The fundamental purpose of public libraries is to provide access to information, ideas, and stories that represent the diverse needs and experiences of its community. We oppose any proposals that would restrict or remove access to books and materials based on the identities they represent. 

    Library workers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of young patrons. We encourage caregivers to be active participants as their children make choices about accessing library materials and activities. We uphold policies and guidelines regarding unattended children, teen spaces and internet use that are made to protect young people in our libraries. We present early learning storytimes that empower children and families with information about health, bodily autonomy, consent, identity, and more. Attempts to stigmatize and restrict information and services poses a tremendous risk to children’s safety and well-being. Libraries are critical resources for building safety into our communities. Free access to information keeps us safe.

    Public libraries are for everyone, including the most marginalized communities: those who are LGBTQIA+, unhoused, poor, disabled, young, immigrant, and Black and Indigenous people of color. Given the historic and ongoing discrimination targeting these populations, particularly the LGBTQIA+ community, we believe that library workers’ commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is essential. These community members are often the most dedicated library supporters, and we have a responsibility to provide a safe space for them and everyone else.

    At a time when TRL is working to rebuild from significant financial challenges, we continue to advocate for a strong, well-funded public library system. Efforts to restrict access to materials and undermine principles of intellectual freedom moves us in the wrong direction. Now it is more important than ever to secure increased funding through a levy lid lift, so that libraries across the five county district can continue to offer free access to affirming and often life-saving information and resources for all.

    We urge the TRL Board of Trustees to denounce the exclusion of our most marginalized community members and support a levy lid lift to reaffirm their commitment to protecting intellectual freedom, equitable access to information, and public libraries that serve everyone.  

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    Download a PDF of this press release here.

  • Union Responds to Appointment of Interim Executive Director

    At the Board of Trustees meeting in Amanda Park last month, our local president delivered a public comment in response to the appointment of Andrea Heisel as Interim Executive Director.

    “Local 3758 continues to call for accountability in response to the Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees’ appointment of Andrea Heisel as Interim Executive Director. Appointing Andrea, as opposed to an external candidate who does not carry the same history of complicity in the ongoing budget crisis and mistreatment of library workers, represents a choice that is dismissive of the concerns of library workers and the demands of the public.

    That being said, we are here now and would like to work together and see demonstrable, active work from Andrea’s admin as well as the Board of Trustees towards repairing the harm to workers and our community members caused by a hostile workplace environment and ongoing budget crisis. The union calls for Andrea Heisel to take swift, decisive action to address the longstanding structural and cultural failings that led to the proposed massive reduction in frontline staffing, threatening the livelihoods of library workers and the critical work they do to provide services to communities across Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties. 

    We believe this work should involve:

    • Beginning the restorative justice process by publicly taking accountability, acknowledging the harm perpetrated by this administration’s actions, and apologizing to both staff and the public.
    • Regularly seeking staff feedback to meaningfully change the working environment as well as creating a safe space within those discussions for opinions that challenge the status quo.
    • Adding a non-voting union member on the Board of Trustees so that our voice can be heard.
    • Presenting a transparent, accurate budget forecast to the public.
    • And immediately laying out a public timeline to pursue a levy lid lift.

    Local 3758 library workers remain committed to advocating for safe working conditions, fair labor practices, a meaningful voice in decision-making, and a strong, financially transparent, well-funded public library system for all. 

    Local 3758 would like to thank the public for their ongoing support. We strongly believe in the importance of listening to the public, particularly the library’s loudest supporters, as they will be crucial in convincing voters to pass a levy lid lift.”

  • Library Workers Win Major Reversal of Timberland Regional Library Layoffs

    After sustained pressure, library leadership rescinds over 80% of involuntary layoffs; union calls for levy lid lift to prevent future cuts.

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/15/2026

    MEDIA CONTACT: Beth Gawne, (425) 312-4201

    Tumwater, WA —  AFSCME Local 3758B, the union representing most Timberland Regional Library (TRL) workers, announces that on Wednesday, April 15th, 2026, TRL leadership agreed to rescind over 80% of involuntary layoff notices sent to frontline library workers in March. This outcome reflects the strength of union workers in rallying public support for library services. We thank everyone—union members, library patrons, and community members —who spoke out and stood with us during this difficult period. 

    Of the 61 previously-announced frontline workers being laid off, 17 employees who chose a voluntary layoff option will still be leaving employment with the TRL system by April 30th. Of the remaining 44 involuntary layoff notices sent out March 15th, 36 layoff notices to frontline workers have now been rescinded. This is an unprecedented concession to the ongoing community outcry about the severe impact these layoffs would have to local library services.

    Eight branch library assistants, most in their first 6 months of probationary employment, will still be laid off on May 15th.

    While this step represents meaningful progress, significant challenges facing the TRL library system remain. Local 3758B calls for a levy lid lift. We recognize how much our communities depend on a stable, well-funded library system. Sustainable public funding through a levy lid lift vote is critical to maintaining staffing levels, preserving access, and meeting the growing needs of our communities. 

    At the same time, Local 3758B continues to demand leadership accountability for the lack of accurate, timely, and complete budget forecasting that led  to the current financial crisis. When TRL asks for support via a levy lid lift, the public must know the library has the leadership necessary to sustain essential services over the long term. We call on the TRL Board of Trustees to ensure that concrete steps for accountability are met to ensure a successful levy lid lift for TRL. 

    Local 3758B library workers remain committed to advocating for safe working conditions, fair labor practices, a meaningful voice in decision-making, and a strong, financially transparent, well-funded public library system for all.

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