For Immediate Release: June 11th, 2020
Contact: Stuart Katzenberg, [email protected], 443-956-2798
AFSCME Council 3 and Community Allies Caravan in Annapolis to Support Frontline State Workers and Call for Racial Justice
Annapolis, Maryland- Next Tuesday, June 16th, AFSCME Council 3 members joined by labor and community allies will caravan to call on Governor Hogan and the Board of Public Works to support frontline state workers. Our union is calling on Governor Hogan and the Board of Public Works to fund the frontlines and ensure frontline workers have adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and technology to do their job, hazard pay, a plan to respond to positive cases in the workplace as well as regular universal testing. After six years of significant underfunding and understaffing from the Hogan Administration, our state services are in crisis.
- As a result of underfunding during the Hogan administration, The Department of Labor has 30% less staff and outdated infrastructure. Due to the unprecedented economic impact of the pandemic, DOL has seen a 3000% increase in applications for unemployment and their internal system has been unable to handle the workload resulting in many residents of Marylanders waiting without benefits for up to 8 weeks
- Currently, we estimate there are still 300 staff within Baltimore City Department of Social Services that still do not have equipment to do the work needed – that’s roughly half the workforce. This is unacceptable given that there is a backlog of over 100,000 applications for SNAP benefits. 100,000 families can’t keep waiting to feed their families because of technology challenges.
As our economy re-opens and our neighbors look to move forward from the pandemic, fully funded and staffed state services are a critical piece of our recovery. While we are caravanning to call for support for frontline state employees, we are also calling for racial justice as a key piece of our recovery.
We will make stops to discuss incidences of racism within state service, specifically the State Highway Administration, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on black and brown communities.
Who: AFSCME Council 3 is the largest union for state and higher education employees in Maryland, AFSCME Maryland Council 67 and UNITE HERE Local 25
What: Approximately 25 cars will caravan through downtown Annapolis and stop at nearby state offices and facilities
When: Tuesday, June 16th, 2020, 3:315-5:15 Where: Meet for Caravan at Annapolis Mall (Sears Parking Lot) 1040 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis, MD 21401