Council 3 Updates

Member Spotlight: John Clark

Sixteen years ago, John Clark was babysitting his granddaughter at home when he saw an advertisement on TV that Baltimore County Public Schools was hiring bus drivers.

Member Spotlight: Sabrina Razvi

Sabrina Razvi’s commitment to her community is evident both in her work as a Library Associate at the Severn Branch of Anne Arundel County Public Libraries (AACPL) and in her organizing efforts wit

Member Spotlight: Clint Stevens

For nearly 10 years, AFSCME Local 1459 Vice President Clint Stevens has worked as a high voltage electrician at the University of M

Urge Legislators to Take Action to Support Expanded Emergency Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 Heroes

As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government instituted expanded worker protection programs and provided federal funding to support recovery efforts. One of these key programs, Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL), has expired despite the continued risk of exposure frontline workers face to COVID-19 and its variants. In Maryland, this program was not extended denying frontline workers access to leave placing an additional barrier for exposed workers.

AFSCME Members Plan to Fight Back Against Proposed MDH Facility Closures

On Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, MDH Secretary Dennis Schrader and the Hogan Administration released a Master Facility Plan detailing recommendations for the 11 facilities MDH currently operates statewide including transitioning services and closing the Deer's Head Hospital Center and the Western Maryland Hospital Center. As a union, we’ve been here before. In 2016, when the Governor announced privatization plans at WMHC, Springfield, and the RICAs we came together and pushed back to defeat those plans. WE can do it again.

At Legislative Hearing AFSCME Members Testify on Lack of Basic Health and Safety Plan Within Higher Education

Legislators from the Senate Education, Business and Administration Subcommittee, and House Education and Economic Development Subcommittee held a briefing today to discuss higher education issues, with a specific focus on the fall reopening of campuses during COVID. Presenters included the University System of Maryland (USM), Saint Mary's College of Maryland, the Maryland Independent Colleges and Universities Association (MICUA), and AFSCME Council 3.

October Regional AFSCME Meetings

This October, AFSCME Council 3 will be hosting a series of Regional AFSCME Meetings to update members on the fight for a raise and respect for COVID-19 heroes and ongoing contract negotiations and legislative engagement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings will be hosted on Zoom with options to call in. 

Judge Rules Against Management’s Motion to Dismiss: AFSCME’s Pay Grievance Clears Another Hurdle

Yesterday, September 14th, Judge Theodore Thibodeau ruled against the state’s motion to dismiss our statewide emergency pay grievance. This is another important step forward in our case which is the largest grievance ever filed against the State of Maryland. AFSCME Council 3 began this case 18 months ago when the Governor stopped compensating frontline workers with emergency pay for reporting in the earliest days of the pandemic.

Fighting Poverty Wages and Unsafe Working Conditions in Higher Education!

State employees of Maryland have consistently pushed forward to contain the virus at work and stand up for healthy and safe workplaces and non-poverty wages.  State employees have been successful in many of the efforts to gain fairness and compensation on the job, and as of July 1st, the state will start every employee at a minimum of $15 an hour. This is a result of our union, AFSCME, fighting at the bargaining table for several years to put state employees on a path out of poverty. 

Pay Equity for DOL Inspectors: When We Fight, We Win

The inspector units in the state of Maryland do key work to keep the community safe. Amusement ride Inspectors make sure our kids are safe in amusement parks. The elevator inspectors provide a vital service that keeps everyone safe every time they step inside an elevator in Maryland. When you see those inspection tickets inside the elevator- these are the people keeping us safe. The boiler inspectors also make sure boilers throughout the state are functioning properly, such that we don't have to worry every time we enter a building with a boiler. 

AFSCME Members Fight for $15 and Respect at the University System of Maryland and UMB

Members from AFSCME Local 1839 rallied on Monday, August 16th, to demand the University System of Maryland increase the minimum wage to $15/hr and respect frontline workers. AFSCME Council 3 represents almost 800 frontline staff who have worked hard with little respect throughout the pandemic including hundreds at UMB. University staff that AFSCME represents have wages starting below $15 per hour.

Check out the video from this event: https://fb.watch/7IZJHGj9yr/