[caption id="attachment_1396" align="alignleft" width="300"]SEIU members including Bryan Jones speak out against the open range expansion being proposed by Metro H.R.[/caption]

Using staff at Nashville Public Library as a test case, SEIU asked city employees what they thought about Metro's proposal to expand Open Range (also known as “merit pay”) in their new pay plan proposal.

The answer was a resounding “NO!” among those who would be affected.

In an informal survey conducted by librarian and union bargaining committee member Julie Burns, there were 21 responses and 20 of them were against the Open Range proposal.

In a separate petition drive among those who would be affected by the proposal, the Union got 33 signatures. "I was surprised and pleased that everyone who was asked to sign the petition opposing Open Range did so," said Bryan Jones, a librarian who helped conduct the petition drive.

At a staff meeting in the Main library branch conducted by HR officials, not one employee spoke in support of Open Range and all comments were in opposition. (Listen to the meeting here).

The Civil Service Commission will continue to debate the entire pay plan proposal and is expected to vote on it in April.

UPDATE (April 12, 2016): Due to the activism and solidarity of library workers and SEIU's efforts, Metro has removed the librarians from the open range expansion in their pay plan proposal! The plan which passed the Civil Service Commission leaves all librarians in the traditional stepped pay plan.