While they don’t deal with teen violence like their peers in neighboring Somerville, the librarians in Cambridge have been taking on responsibilities in recent years that strain resources: promoting digital equity, translating for non-English-speaking patrons and connecting unhoused people to resources.
The new roles are part of negotiations between Cambridge Public Library staff and the City of Cambridge going on almost a year – there have been 11 monthly bargaining sessions with the city as of Aug. 2 – and not settled fast enough to keep librarians from working without a contract. The last one expired June 30, inspiring a Sept. 3 action in which union members stood in front of the Cambridge Main Library wearing matching T-shirts with demands.
Most city contracts run for three years. The city has made some concessions on smaller demands, said Aruna Gopalan, a Cambridge librarian since 2021, while larger demands to be incorporated into a contract are: a base pay increase of $3 an hour; evening-hour pay differentials; minimum staffing levels; and evaluations of management. Gopalan spoke for the Cambridge Public Library Staff Association, a labor union.
A wage increase is a “major sticking point” as it’s necessary to “meet the demands of living in Cambridge and working in Cambridge, which is a very expensive area,” Gopalan said.
Jeremy Warnick, director of media relations for Cambridge, declined an interview request but sent written a written statement Thursday: “We care deeply about the wellness and safety of our staff, and we are working in good faith to reach a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the valuable work of library staff and sustains excellent library service for the community.”
The library department is funded this year with $19.4 million, of which $14.9 million goes to salaries and wages for 95 workers, according to the 2025 municipal budget book.
The average increase for union staff since 2016 has been 2.8 percent, and the city is so far offering a 3 percent rise in the current year, 3.5 percent in 2025 and 2.5 percent in 2026, according to union materials. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Cambridge would account for at least 41 percent of a union worker’s pretax pay, the materials say.
With recent years seeing inflationary surges at an average 5 percent, “we’re very adamant in our demand for no less than a 6 percent increase for 2026. That’s kind of a campaign motto now,” Gopalan said. The union initially approached the city with a higher wage proposal knowing it would get shot down, but it was “really jarring” to see how swiftly it was rejected.
Gopalan has a theory about the slow pace for negotiations: The city is getting other labor units citywide to settle contracts for smaller wage increases. “If our contract is not being settled at a living wage, then we know that other units’ contracts are not being settled at a living wage either,” Gopalan said.
“Settling for a contract that doesn’t protect us or compensate us is not going to help us in the long run. While we would love to be under a contract, we’re willing to stick it out, as it means that we get our demands at the end of the day,” Gopalan said.
The need is exacerbated by new work demands that have created “systemwide burnout,” leading some librarians to switch professions, Gopalan said.
Some of the smaller concessions by the city addresses that; it has begun to agree to compensate bilingual librarians for translation work, though it has yet to determine what constitutes bilingual work. A higher percentage coverage on librarians’ MBTA pass has been agreed upon, she said.
At the start of the Covid pandemic, the city enacted an emergency paid sick leave to incentivize employees to stay home and quarantine if they tested positive for Covid. Librarians also had access to testing centers. “All of this was done to ensure that we were keeping both each other and the public that we work with every day safe, and was being done with the understanding that we’re frontline working with the public,” she said.
Since that program was discontinued last year, it’s one of the union’s goals to get more sick leave time, arguing they must protect themselves and the public.
The union says negotiations have brought an outpouring of support from patrons. “A lot of them have seen firsthand that the library is kind of a stressful environment to work in,” Gopalan said.
Perhaps the librarians’ most vocal supporter is the Rev. Irene Monroe. “When folks from out of town visit me, I take them to the library to show off and so they can see how my tax dollars are well spent as a Cambridge resident,” Monroe said.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.
The Librarians list of contract demands as presented here in the article seem reasonable considering the expanding role that they are performing, the high cost of living and rising costs associated with any form of rental housing in the city and the health risks they are exposed to.
Covid, Flu, West Nile Virus, and many other disease have been recognized as occurring here in the city. Medical appointments take time off for tests, shots, examinations and treatments, so additional leave time to deal with these things are also important as well as if time is needed to avoid infecting the public when ill.
Taking care of all our city staff and not putting them thru long delays on contract renegotiations is necessary for smooth functioning of the public services in this city. The City management , council members etc. need to remember that they are representatives and employees of the residents of this city who pay taxes and vote in the elections, not corporations, financial speculators or property developers who aren’t personally residents. We live here and want things to run smoothly and to the compassionate benefit of our population and staff.
Those greedy librarians. Don’t they know Elon needs that money to build rollercoasters on Mars?
Cambridge, get your house in order! I am tired of reading articles about our valued city staff working without contracts. Librarians do the hard work of helping every single person who walks in the door. They are highly trained, caring professionals and deserve our respect and gratitude. Give them what they ask. No doublespeak, no nickel and diming, no delay.