The view from the Idea Center

Two different kinds of strikes are in the works, and in the news.

The Cleveland Public Library’s (CPL) 380 unionized library employees voted last night to empower their union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199, to call for a strike if negotiators cannot reach a new contract with library administrators.

Union members have been working without a contract since the last one expired on Dec. 31. Negotiations have bogged down around pay, of course, but also safety and staffing levels.

The union said it will wait to call a strike until after the next bargaining session on Jan. 17, “to see if meaningful progress can be made.”

In a Wednesday night statement, CPL said it would have to close some branches and suspend programs if a strike occurs.

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, two royals are going on strike.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, “intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family,” and become financially independent.

The British tabloids are, as they’ve done in the past, taking the Sussexes to pieces. The Daily Mail is in a lather. The Sun has an equally dizzying array of reports, including one on how the bombshell announcement upended Kate Middleton’s 38 ^th birthday.

CPL workers want more security and hires. Meghan and Harry want to be left alone, and they appear to think that a #Megxit (or is it #Harryverderci?) from the Royal Family will accomplish that.

They’d better think again before they have to start paying their own way.

See you bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

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Your ideas

On The Sound of Ideas this morning, host Mike McIntyre examined the challenges and opportunities when small cities try to reinvent themselves. Last year, Cleveland Heights launched and then quickly retracted the new slogan "We Choose This" after nearly universal backlash. And ideastream took a look a Sandusky's reboot, which is also the topic of tomorrow's City Club Forum ( live stream it here!). How would you like to see your city reinvent itself? Call us at  (216) 916-6476, comment on our Facebook page or join the conversation in Public Square. We'll feature some of your thoughts and comments here in Noon(ish) and on Morning Edition.