Sabrina Razvi’s commitment to her community is evident both in her work as a Library Associate at the Severn Branch of Anne Arundel County Public Libraries (AACPL) and in her organizing efforts with the new staff union for AACPL workers, Anne Arundel Library Workers United (AALWU). As a Library Associate, Sabrina wears many hats, coordinating programming that ranges from a K-pop dance program to weekly teen hangout nights, while also providing daily support to patrons as they access library services. In short, Sabrina’s job is to “make the library a warm and welcoming spot.”
Last year, Sabrina and her colleagues began to organize AALWU, and earlier this month, they successfully filed for official recognition of their union. “I wanted a union to ensure fair treatment and better working conditions and a collective voice for all employees to enable us to advocate not only for ourselves but also our communities,” says Sabrina. She hopes that the union will allow workers to “shine a spotlight on everyday issues that the administration doesn’t see.” As AALWU enters their first contract negotiations, Sabrina is committed to fighting for “better pay and improved benefits” to “help retain quality talent, enabling us to better serve communities and most importantly protect what we’ve already strived to achieve.”
We’ll leave you with Sabrina’s words for anyone who hasn’t yet joined or isn’t involved in their union: “In the past, I've heard some staff say that it's hard to understand unionizing if they haven't experienced glaring inequities. It's not just about personal grievances -- it's about advocating for fairness and equity for all. Unions can help maintain the benefits and good things we already have and have achieved. To those who may be facing challenges, I would tell them that their voice matters.”
