Council 3 Updates

Remembering Brother Glen Middleton

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Brother Glen Middleton yesterday evening. Brother Middleton was a fierce leader who inspired so many of us in the labor movement today.

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.

Staffing Analysis Update: Addressing Staffing and Safety Issues at DPSCS Institutions

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 should be available shortly after.

This past summer, outgoing DPSCS Secretary Robert Green committed to working with AFSCME local presidents representing correctional staff across Maryland to complete this staffing analysis.

Remembering Council 3's First Secretary-Treasurer Flo Jones

It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Council 3’s first Secretary-Treasurer Flo Jones has passed away unexpectedly this past weekend.

Sister Jones was elected as Council 3’s first Secretary-Treasurer in 2012 and served until 2020. She also served on the board of AFSCME Local 112 as recording secretary and vice president. While serving as our union’s secretary-treasurer, she worked at the Baltimore Department of Social Services as a social worker in foster care, adoption, and adult services for over 20 years.

We can now move FORWARD!

November 8th marked several firsts in Maryland. We elected Wes Moore as Maryland’s first Black Governor, Anthony Brown as the state’s first Black Attorney General, and Brooke Lierman as the state’s first woman comptroller. They won with overwhelming majorities, marking a huge shift in Maryland politics.

This Labor Day, forming and joining a union should be a freedom every working Marylander can enjoy

It’s critical that we come together in November to vote for leaders and policymakers who will work to enshrine our fundamental right to form a union and join together with our coworkers to have a say in the decisions that affect us in our workplaces.

AFSCME MD Calls on Hogan Administration to Take Action for Lower Drug Costs

On June 24th, AFSCME Maryland President Patrick Moran sent the following letter to the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, its Advisory Committee, and key legislators expressing concerns about the commitment to a robust state Pharmacy Benefit Manager reverse auction.

Reject Lease Transfer Putting Closed Sign on Spring Grove: Patients Over Profits

Spring Grove Hospital Center is the public psychiatric hospital serving Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel, Prince George’s Counties, and Baltimore City. It has 375 beds and approximately 800 staff.

2022 Legislative Session Victories Waiting for Governor Hogan to Take Action

The 44th Session of the General Assembly of Maryland ended on April 11.  The legislature now has until April 30 to present bills to the Governor for his consideration.  The Governor then has until May 30 to take action on legislation by signing, vetoing, or allowing to become law through passivity i.e. neither signing nor vetoing.  This has been a standard practice of Governor Hogan, using passivity to a much greater extent than his predecessors. 

One Step Forward in Fight to Stop Closure of MDH Facilities

Last September, Governor Hogan released his 2041 Facilities Master Plan (FMP) for the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).In the Maryland Department of Health’s “2041 Facilities Master Plan” they state one of their goals is “Identifying strategic partners to transfer services from Western Maryland Hospital Center in Hagerstown and Deer’s Head Hospital Center in Salisbury to healthcare and community providers”.  These hospitals serve chronically ill individuals and those with severe disabilities, including brain trauma patients and those with severe kidney disease.  They also provide long-te