A group of Salt Lake City Public Library employees and supporters erupted into boisterous celebration almost immediately after the city library’s board of directors voted Monday to approve a resolution that will allow employees to formally unionize, all but completing a journey about two years in the making .
The jubilation poured out into the basement of the Salt Lake Main Library branch afterward, as employees and supporters embraced. The board’s decision sets up a final vote by the Salt Lake City Council that is expected to take place as early as next month.
If approved by city leaders, Salt Lake City Public Library Workers United — a branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — would become the first public library union in the state.
“It’s been a long time coming, and we were just excited for it to finally happen,” said Melanie Rodriguez, an employee of the Salt Lake Main Library. “It was a pretty long process, and we’re making history here … so we’re pretty excited about it.”