RELEASE: Maryland State Employees Needs Unions Now More than Ever

Maryland State Employees Needs Unions Now More than Ever  

AFSCME Maryland Responds to AFSCME V Janus Decision

BALTIMORE, MD – As of today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that we will no longer be able collect fair share fees on the basis of free speech. This decision will hurt millions of working families nationwide. This decision is not about “free speech” it is about blocking attempts by working people to make their lives better. While we are still working to interpret the decision, our fight ahead does not change. AFSCME Maryland will continue to fight for a fair raise, quality public services and safe staffing levels.

 The Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 is nothing more than a political attack against working people. It’s an attempt by rich and powerful to limit our resources to fight. AFSCME Council 3 give us a powerful voice in speaking up for our families and our communities. When Correctional Officers, Direct Care Assistants, Social Workers and Facility Maintenance Techs like us come together, we win. 

“This decision is about taking money out of our pockets and power out of our hands. They fear us because we use our power to make a better Maryland. Our fight is with Governor Hogan and his failure to fill over 2,500 vacant positions,” says AFSCME Maryland President Patrick Moran 

“Just last week, there were two officers injured by an inmate Dorsey Run Correctional Facility and at ECI, inmates refused to lock in.  The prisons are only becoming MORE violent the longer Governor Hogan fails to fill these vacancies,” explains Moran.

Unions remain the most effective vehicle for the power in numbers working people need to secure their rights and freedoms and provide a pathway to the middle class. We will remain a strong and vibrant force for working people, and will continue fighting to sustain our families, improve our workplaces and to make our communities stronger regardless of the court’s ruling.  

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