The AFSCME Maryland State Bargaining Team met with the State of Maryland for our third negotiations session on Wednesday, October 29.
During this session, the State presented its initial counterproposal on wages, offering an increase of less than 1%.
The AFSCME team was outraged by the counter proposal, members of the bargaining team delivered powerful testimonies describing how state employees cannot continue to make ends meet without pay increases that keep up with the pace of inflation.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shared projections about the State’s fiscal outlook, citing potential impacts from the ongoing federal government shutdown, the loss of SNAP benefits, and possible reductions to Medicaid funding.
The AFSCME team questioned why the State’s analysis did not include cost-saving measures or alternative options. The State did not have an answer.
In response, AFSCME presented several proposals to help reduce State expenses, including:
- Consolidation of personnel systems,
- Elimination of wasteful tax credits,
- Reductions in Board of Public Works (BPW) spending, particularly on private contracts that replace state workers,
- Caps or reductions on rate hikes from public utilities,
- The State agreed to review and meet with AFSCME regarding these proposed cost-saving measures at an upcoming meeting
The AFSCME team countered with a revised wage proposal that includes both Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) and Step Increases.
Our next bargaining session will take place on Thursday, November 13 at our AFSCME Maryland office in Baltimore.
Sign the Petition!
Take 2 minutes to add your name to our petition to Governor Moore and our state leaders to demand a fair wage proposal. We need as many signatures as possible, so send this link around to your coworkers. We want to show our state leaders that we are strong and united in our demand for fair compensation for state employees.
Become a Member
When it comes to negotiations, your membership matters. When our membership is strong and united, the State takes us seriously, which means being able to win big at the bargaining table. If you are not currently an AFSCME member, you can join at www.afscmemd.org/join.
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NOTE: Access to bargaining information is limited to bargaining unit employees (units A, B, C, D, F, H, and S). Be aware that details of proposals, counterproposals, and related discussions in closed collective bargaining sessions are private and confidential communications protected from unilateral public disclosure during collective bargaining negotiations under SPP § 3-501(e). Such details should not be made public while collective bargaining negotiations are taking place. The above materials in this post include details and therefore should not be circulated to the public or publicly.