ALA-APA and Unions
American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees (ALA-APA) advocates for and supports library employees in seeking equitable compensation, but negotiating wages and other compensation must be done at the institutional level. ALA-APA cannot do collective bargaining, so its power to improve wages and benefits is limited. By being part of a union, library workers gain local allies who can help to achieve pay equity and better salaries. This is especially important in public libraries where the union brings greater power to win budget increases from local governments. Unions are one of many ways library workers may improve salaries.