Council 3 Updates

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

Member Spotlight: Danielle Dorsey

As a lead custodian at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) for nearly 30 years, AFSCME Local 3376 President Danielle Dorsey works to keep the campus buildings clean and safe for the st

Member Spotlight: Elisha Mack

Two years ago, Elisha Mack took a job at the Spring Grove Hospital Center as a Security Attendant Supervisor, seeing the opportunity as a promotion and the chance to be in a new environment after n

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/

Statewide Emergency Pay Grievance Update August 31st, 2021

When the pandemic began 18 months ago, frontline workers stepped up. The Hogan administration appropriately followed our MOU and paid workers emergency pay for the first two weeks of the crisis. Since those two weeks, AFSCME Council 3 has been engaged in collecting grievant submissions and pursuing the largest case against the State of Maryland ever filed. 

AFSCME Council 3 Connecting Veterans to Resources

With the recent news of troops leaving Afghanistan, AFSCME Council 3 is supporting veterans and sharing information about important resources available.  Many may find the news triggering or upsetting but it’s critical to remember that what is happening now does not minimize the sacrifices of those who served. There is not one way to think or feel or act. The important thing is to be aware of the many mental health resources available to you.