GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH
6:00 PM
The next General Membership Meeting for Local 696 is coming up!
As we’ve stated in the past, it is absolutely critical to our union specifically and to the labor movement generally that members come out to meetings. Local 696 has well over 1,000 members, and in most meetings, fewer than 10% are in attendance.
In order for a meeting to conduct official business, there must be a quorum- a certain number of members present. For Local 696, that quorum is 50. That means that it’s hypothetically possible for 50 members to make decisions that impact all members.
If there is to be a meaningful dialogue- a real change to the way unions do business- it is imperative that members attend meetings.
For many of you this will require schedule alterations, possibly including the use of paid time off. We understand that this is a sacrifice, but we urge you to come if it is in any way possible for you.
Workers in the farthest reaches of Philly like the Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest have the most difficult time getting to the meetings. As a result of this, huge swaths of 696 are underrepresented.
There is only one way to fix that issue of representation: meeting attendance.
We recommend reading the “How to Take Part in Local Meetings” guide at afscme.org before your first meeting.
See you there!
RETRO PAY
Retroactive pay for the 2024 contract was distributed in February 2025.
If you or any of your coworkers are still waiting for retro pay or the bonus, we recommend contacting your payroll clerk and/or the Local 696 office. The Local 696 office may be reached at 216-895-3330.
A Win for DC33 and DC47
By Kamili Feelings
After joining the staff at Roxborough Library in 2022, I found it became difficult to work under our branch manager, Eric Woods. As head of our branch, Woods never seemed to respect the staff’s boundaries.
Eric Woods would start up conversations with staff members about how he wanted to hurt people in his life, including patrons and coworkers. Even worse, while discussing these kinds of awkward antisocial issues Eric would place his hands on coworkers’ backs, shoulders, and arms apparently lost in his own thoughts. These kinds of “quirks” made him unpopular with staff.
Woods’ controlling habits worsened to the point of him intimidating and bullying staff members on the library floor. Throughout our time with Woods, he loudly announced vendettas against patrons, staff members, and members of the library community who he felt had slighted him in some way.
Our entire staffroom staged an intervention with Woods one morning, warning him in a formal staff meeting about the consequences of his conduct. Even then, Woods resisted attempts to correct his behavior. He continued touching us without permission, crowding us at the front desk, and blocking our paths within the work room.
In the fall of 2023, all DC33 (Local 696) members within the branch collectively reported Eric Woods’s behavior to his supervisor. Woods was terminated 5-6 months later. When Eric sought an arbitration hearing in early 2025 to seek reinstatement, workers from both DC33 and DC47 stepped up to testify against him.
After we announced we would testify, Eric yielded, agreeing to a settlement offer at the eleventh hour – the details barring him from ever seeking employment with the City of Philadelphia.
Our worst fear was that Eric would return to the Free Library system, feeling more empowered than ever to terrorize his coworkers. We are happy with this progressive moment: City workers from both DC33 and DC47 acted in solidarity, and we kept a dangerous boss from coming back to work.
When workers fight, workers win.