Charles County library workers have ratified their first-ever collective bargaining agreement, according to UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, the union representing the library’s non-supervisory staff.
The agreement, approved in a vote the union says concluded with 90% support, establishes wages, working conditions and workplace protections for employees of the Charles County Public Library system. It marks the first contract since the bargaining unit was certified in March 2025, following an organizing effort that began in June 2024, ahead of a state law (House Bill 609) that made it easier for public library employees in Maryland to unionize.
Union president Gino Renne characterized the bargaining process as unnecessarily prolonged, pointing to the county’s decision to hire Jackson Lewis, a management-side labor law firm, to represent it in negotiations. “This should have been a straightforward process focused on reaching a fair agreement for the hardworking people who serve Charles County residents every day,” Renne said. “Instead, the County chose to bring in an expensive union-avoidance law firm, which helped drag out negotiations and delayed workers from reaching their first contract.”
Charles County library administration has previously disputed that characterization. During negotiations, the administration said in a statement that it had “recognized and accepted” the union as the exclusive bargaining representative for non-supervisory employees and that “the parties are proceeding in good faith,” explicitly denying any suggestion of “union busting” and saying its goal was to work collaboratively with the union. The administration also said an earlier-reported $250,000 figure for legal representation was an estimate for budget planning purposes rather than necessarily the full amount spent, and that some of the library’s collection budget was reallocated to other programs during the process.
Renne said the union’s members stayed engaged throughout the process regardless of the disagreement over its pace. “A 90 percent yes vote sends a very clear message,” he said. “Our members stood together, stayed engaged and made their voices heard. They should be incredibly proud of what they accomplished.” He added that the contract “recognizes that the people who make [library] services possible deserve respect, fair treatment and a seat at the table.”
Charles County’s library workers join a broader trend of Maryland library staff organizing in recent years. Baltimore County library workers unionized in 2022, and Howard County library workers ratified their own first contract in spring 2025. UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO also represents library workers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
