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Council praises peer navigator program; library commits to pay increases and will explore unionization
Summary
Council leaders called the peer navigator program a unique Baltimore effort; Enoch Pratt pledged to increase pay and extend grant support while council members urged steps toward unionization and protections for peer staff.
Council President Brent Cohen and Council Vice President Odette Middleton praised the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s peer navigator program, a social-impact service that places peer navigators inside library branches to help patrons with addiction recovery and related services. Cohen said the program “is unique to Baltimore” and asked library leadership to consider reclassification and unionization for peer navigators so they receive pay and protections similar to other city workers.
Will Johnson, deputy chief of outreach and mobile services for the library, said the peer navigator program has been funded under a CareFirst grant and that the library plans to extend the program for the next three to four years. Johnson said the library will increase pay and hours for peer navigators and is working with other city agencies to provide safer workspace and finalize the grant extension by August.
Why it matters: Council members framed the job as especially demanding because peer navigators are often staff who are themselves in recovery. They argued those workers need stable pay, benefits and workplace protections; Vice President Middleton asked library and city leaders to pursue unionization discussions and noted a $5,000,000 allocation secured with help from the city solicitor to support the program.
Discussion vs. formal action: The hearing record shows commitments and direction but no formal vote. Library leadership committed to increasing pay, extending the grant-funded program and providing follow-up on unionization options. Council members indicated they will follow up later to pursue any classification or collective-bargaining steps.
Supporting details: Cohen said he believed no other U.S. city is running a similar library-based peer navigator program; Johnson confirmed CareFirst grant support and a planned extension of three to four years. Council leadership asked for additional detail about pay and classification; Helton and Johnson said they would return with more information and continue discussions with unions and the city solicitor.
Ending: The committee recessed with library staff agreeing to provide follow-up details on the peer navigator program’s funding, pay adjustments and next steps regarding classification or union representation.
