Since our Tentative Interim Agreement was finalized and signed, the AFSCME Maryland Unit S Bargaining Team has had two additional days of negotiations with the State of Maryland — one on August 5th and another on August 13th.
At these two sessions, we discussed and reviewed our union’s proposals and the State’s counter proposals. We have reached a tentative agreement or are close to reaching an agreement on a range of topics, including the following:
- Expanding protections for employees against discrimination and other prohibited conduct
- Expanding opportunities to meet with new and newly promoted Unit S employees (including all current Unit S employees who have not had an opportunity to meet with us) to introduce them to our union, our union contract, and the benefits of union membership
- Developing meeting procedures for labor-management committees and tracking/logging issues and concerns
- Increasing opportunities for Unit S labor-management committees to work collaboratively with members from other AFSCME-represented units (Units A, B, C, D, F, and H)
- Developing a process to facilitate flex time and compressed workweek schedules
- Implementing Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, which provides paid leave for someone to care for themselves or a family member, effective July 1, 2026
- Protecting against any furloughs of Unit S employees through June 30, 2026
We are continuing discussions regarding telework as well as the implementation of peer support meetings, which would give Unit S employees opportunities to meet with one another without the presence of management. These meetings would be a space to meet regularly to discuss and share challenges, best practices, and techniques for managing stress and improving morale.
Health and safety topics also remain a high priority, and the AFSCME Maryland team is exploring ways to track and monitor documented health and safety concerns so that unsafe and hazardous conditions are addressed appropriately.
We do still remain far apart from management on topics including their rights as management, scheduling compliance (particularly for MTA), reimbursements for credentialing and licensure, and the use of body armor.
A big thank you to the dedicated and vocal members of the AFSCME Maryland bargaining team who continue to speak up and share their real-life experiences in the workplace. Our two Unit S locals, Local 227 (Unit S supervisors in agencies under the Department of Budget and Management) and Local 6368 (Unit S supervisors in the Maryland Department of Transportation), are speaking up during these meetings and telling State leaders exactly what we and our fellow supervisors face on a daily basis.
Our next bargaining session will be at the AFSCME Maryland office in Baltimore on Wednesday, August 27.
