UCSB librarians with the University Council-American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT) union began negotiations with the University of California (UC) for a new contract in April, kicking off a six-month process. Salary parity and academic freedom are chief among their concerns going into the discussions.
According to Kristen LaBonte, a UCSB librarian on the negotiations team, UCSB’s library has lost 12 librarians since 2009 because of the low salary and high cost of living. Of those 12, nine worked for fewer than five years at the university, and the average duration of their service is just under three years. As a result, librarians who stay take on additional responsibilities but don’t get as many opportunities to work one-on-one with students.
UCSB librarians say that the current salary range at the UC is not enough for the cost of living in Santa Barbara. Both LaBonte and fellow librarian Yolanda Blue said that they had to work additional part-time jobs to cover their living costs. “It’s what one has to do,” Blue said.