Monday, March 20 was "Crossover Day", the deadline for a bill to pass either the House or Senate to be considered by the other and have a chance of being signed into law.
After nearly 2 years, a long-delayed analysis of staffing issues at Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) institutions will be wrapping up at the end of January and results
After three years of organizing, testifying and lobbying AFSCME Council 3 members at University System of Maryland (USM) Schools will finally have the opportunity to have one master agreement covering them all. Senate Bill 9 was lightly amended in the House and passed both chambers of the General Assembly this session, awaiting to become law.
Earlier this month, Governor Hogan announced a new supplemental budget for $100 million which will be used to fund COVID-19 Response Pay through the end of 2021. This includes both the $3.13 response pay and $5.13 quarantine pay for classifications as designated by the Department of Budget and Management- click here to review the list.
With the typical AFSCME spirit of “it’s not over until it’s over,” union-supported legislation to create a statewide Telework policy for both the public and private sectors passed the General Assembly as the clock approached midnight on Monday, April 12 – the last day of the legislative session.
AFSCME Council 3 has endorsed Jamaal Craddock for re-election to the Board of Trustees For Maryland State Retirement and Pension System. Voting materials will be sent via the mail starting May 14th, 2021, and will be conducted via the phone or internet. Our Executive Board is proud to endorse Brother Craddock and looks forward to working together to ensure our pension fund is protected.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, AFSCME members have made it clear that DBM’s response pay was a violation of our contract language on emergency pay. In response, we filed the largest group grievance against the State of Maryland to enforce our contract and are in the final step of the grievance procedure. The recent announcement about COVID-19 backpay (the $3.13/hr for limited classifications- review the list here) does not impact our case.
We are less than a week from completing the General Assembly’s 2021 90-Day legislative session. Here are some of the latest actions taken by the legislature that AFSCME Council 3 has been advocating:
