New Haven (CT) Library Workers Negotiating New Contract

 New Haven librarians are some of the lowest-paid librarians in Connecticut, with a full-time union librarian earning anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 less than they would surrounding towns and cities, as reported by the Art Council of Greater New Haven. Part-time library aides are not represented by a union and earn $15 per hour, three to nine dollars less than what other Connecticut libraries offer. 

Workers in the NHFPL system are represented by Local 3144 and Local 884, the city managers’ and clerical workers’ unions, respectively. With the last contract expiring on June 30, 2020, both unions are currently negotiating with the city. According to Elicker, the delay in new contracts was partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city has been working through various union contracts since the subsiding of pandemic restrictions, such as the nursing contracts. 

Gilda Herrera, President of Local 3144, told the News that the negotiations are making progress, and Local 3144 hopes to come to a conclusion soon.