AFSCME Local 3758

Representing the employees of Timberland Regional Library.

Tag: Press Release

  • Library workers express disbelief, outrage as Timberland Regional Library sends layoff notices to nearly 40% of frontline staff

    Library workers express disbelief, outrage as Timberland Regional Library sends layoff notices to nearly 40% of frontline staff

    These layoffs are a betrayal of our communities and the library’s values and will have far-reaching impacts on library services for people across our five-county region, says AFSCME 3758-B

    Tumwater, WA — AFSCME Local 3758-B Timberland Regional Library is devastated to share that on Sunday 3/15/26, library administration sent out 60-day layoff notices to 44 Timberland Regional Library (TRL) workers. All library workers who received layoff notices on 3/15 are “frontline” staff who work directly at local library branch locations in the regional library system. In addition, 17 library workers recently chose a voluntary layoff option offered by leadership, and will also be leaving library employment due to the ongoing, shocking budget crisis at TRL.

    Layoff notices were sent to workers in the job classifications library assistant, librarian, and public services specialist. Local 3758-B is working diligently to provide resources and help to all union members facing layoffs.

    The total number of frontline library staff who will be laid off by 5/15/26 from TRL is over 60 workers: over 38% of all frontline staff currently employed at TRL branch work locations. Union leaders warn that this drastic reduction of staff will weaken the library system’s ability to respond to community needs, including technology access, education, safe spaces, and much more. Already, three rural library branches are now planned to operate on a locked keycard model without staff present, severely limiting those community members’ ability to use their library.

    Compounding the frustration of union library workers is that no additional layoffs or pay cuts have been announced for non-represented leadership, administrators, and other behind-the-scenes departments. As a Local 3758-B member says, remaining anonymous for fear of retaliation, “In difficult budget moments, workers expect solutions that reflect shared sacrifice across the organization, including consideration of leadership pay reductions before layoffs are implemented.”

    Local 3758-B members continue to call for accountability in budget decision-making and forecasting from library directors that led to this budget crisis and the layoffs of frontline workers. Michael Rainey, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 2, says, “As a union familiar with public agency operations, especially library budgets, we are deeply concerned about how Timberland has managed its budget.” Despite overwhelming opposition to these layoffs from community members and library patrons, so far, the TRL Board of Trustees has made no moves towards providing accountability.

    Local 3758-B President Meghan Hall shares this message: “Our union members are proud to serve the public. We serve our local communities and provide safe spaces for all community members to learn, use technology, and engage with literacy. Losing so many dedicated library workers to layoffs is heartbreaking. It is inconceivable that frontline library workers bear the brunt of these cuts.”

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    Download a PDF of this press release.

  • TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY STAFF UNION SAYS “NO LAYOFFS!”

    At a time when libraries are already under attack, AFSCME 3758-B strongly opposes additional cuts to library staffing and calls for an independent investigation into the cause of TRL’s budget crisis

    Tumwater, WA — Last week, management at Timberland Regional Library (TRL) made a stunning announcement–a 3.5 million dollar deficit had been discovered in the budget, and in addition TRL was no longer able to meet their required 30% reserve in the 2026 budget’s beginning general fund balance. And to address this shortfall, Executive Director Cheryl Heywood announced a series of cost-cutting measures, including a drastic cut to the budget for new library materials and a sudden massive reduction in frontline staffing through layoffs, which may potentially lead to many library buildings operating without staff in the near future.

    But what frustrates library workers is that, only a few months ago, TRL’s administration claimed the budget was in good health. TRL’s Board of Trustees must have believed those assurances when they approved the 2026 budget on December 30th, since they approved 15% budgeted increases for the two top administrators below the Director, as compared to the 2025 budget. The library’s own budget and funding FAQs do not provide clear or full context or explanation for decisions like this which were made when preparing the 2026 numbers. And now, TRL is facing an immediate budget shortfall, a predicted additional shortfall, and layoff notices that will be sent out by the end of this month. This reckless plan has the potential to devastate library services for hundreds of thousands of people in our region, and it is a clear indication that TRL’s administration is not in any way equipped to address this budget crisis.

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