Press Room

Baltimore City municipal employees reach historic tentative agreement on new union contract

AFSCME Maryland Council 3
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Baltimore — On Thursday, August 21, AFSCME Local 44, Local 558, and Local 2202 reached a historic tentative agreement with the City of Baltimore. The agreement will cover a three-year period from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028. 

AFSCME Local 44, Local 558, and Local 2202 began negotiations with the City earlier this year. Together, the three locals represent nearly 2,200 city employees across various departments and agencies, including the Department of Public Works, Recreation and Parks, Health Department, and Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success. 

Highlights of the tentative agreement include: 

  • A comprehensive overhaul of the existing pay scale that will raise the minimum salary of all city employees represented by AFSCME to at least $20 an hour (up from $16 an hour) 
  • On average, Local 44 members will receive nearly 19% in wage increases over the life of the contract, with some employees receiving upwards of almost $30,000 in increases based on years of service and experience. Local 558 members will receive nearly 14% in wage increases, and Local 2202 members will receive nearly 12% in wage increases. 
  • A new 25-step salary scale will be phased in over 3 years to address issues of wage compression and lack of long-term career path. 
  • Cost of living adjustment of 2.5% for FY27 and 2.75 % for FY28 
  • An increase to hazard differential pay from $0.15 per hour to $0.75 per hour 
  • All DPW employees in routine services will be eligible to receive hazard pay. 
  • Additional discussions will be held to review other classifications that should receive hazard pay. 
  • Enhanced Health and Safety committees with access to City information 
  • Increased meal allowance to $15 and an increase in the tool stipend for certain DGS employees from $2,000 to $2,500 
  • Requirement for the City to notify and bargain with the Union before implementing any new or modified Standard Operating Procedure 
  • Language to reduce reliance on outside contractors for bargaining unit work 

“I am incredibly proud of the commitment, tenacity, and dedication of our bargaining team that has resulted in one of the strongest agreements I have ever seen during my career. After over 55 years working for the City, I am excited that this agreement sets up a strong foundation for both current and future city employees to come,” said Dorothy Bryant, AFSCME Local 44 President. 

“23 years ago, I started my job with the City making $10.58 an hour. With this new contract, nobody else will ever have to be paid that low again because we’ve set the floor at $20 an hour. And with this new pay scale, you’ll have a clear sense of how much you’ll be making now and in the future. Two years ago, when I helped fix the pay scale for the Water & Waste Water workers, we promised everyone we would fix the pay scale citywide. I have so much gratitude for our negotiating team and the work that we put in that led us to this achievement,” said Trevor Taylor, AFSCME Local 44 Vice President and Crew Leader with the Department of Public Works (Water and Waste Water). 

“I’m excited that we’ve reached this agreement. After 44 years of working for the City, it’s a relief to have a contract that acknowledges our experience and rewards the hard work that we do for the residents of this city,” said Alonzo Blue, a CDL Driver II with the Department of Public Workers (Water and Waste Water) and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“With this new contract, we will finally be up there in terms of pay and will be competitive with the surrounding counties. I’m excited about the wage increases that those who have been with the City for a long time will be getting, and I’m excited about the health and safety improvements so that management is held accountable. We were patient and collaborative throughout this process, and I’m proud of the result,” said Ed Brown, a Crew Leader at the Baltimore Convention Center and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“With this new contract, both sides win. We put in so much time and effort into our jobs to take care of the city and our communities, and now we will be paid more fairly. This means we can retain people and address the staffing shortages. It means we can bring more people in and make it possible to build a career here and raise a family,” said Reginald Moore, a Public Building Coordinator with the Department of General Services and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“This agreement was not just something we wanted; this was something all of us needed. With the rising cost of living and inflation, these pay increases are well-deserved. I’m hoping that now we’ll be able to get the manpower we need to fill the vacancies that we have to continue to provide important city services,” said Bernie Taylor, a Laborer (Turf Management) with the Department of Recreation and Parks and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“I’ve been with the City for nearly 20 years, making sure our streets are drivable and safe. I’m proud of this contract that we’ve negotiated because it will benefit all of us — from the ones who have been here for our entire careers to the ones who are just coming in. These raises will mean we will be able to take care of our families and our bills in addition to taking care of our city,” said Kim Farabee, CDL Driver II with the Department of Transportation and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“From morning until night, sometimes up to 12 hours a day, we’re out there clearing the streets and keeping the trash down. In my 30 plus years with the city, I have never seen a contract like this. Our bargaining team stuck with this for months. We stood up for what’s fair, and now we’ve finally won what we deserve. The new step scale, the cost of living adjustments, and the hazard pay increase — I’m proud of what we’ve won for me and my coworkers,” said Anthony Wyche, a CDL Driver II with the Department of Public Works (Solid Waste) and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“This contract is an unprecedented achievement for our union and our members that is many years in the making. This agreement not only benefits every member here today but also going into the future. We’re finally going to have a competitive pay scale, and we’re going to be able to improve retention rates so that people are able to stay here for the long haul,” said Arthur King, a CDL Driver II for the Department of Transportation and an AFSCME Local 44 member. 

“I’m thrilled with this agreement because it represents a historic change in how members are compensated and provides us with important health and safety protections. For the first time, our salaries as Local 558 members will be competitive with those of other healthcare employers in the city. This means we’ll be able to hire and retain the nurses we need to make sure our communities and children receive the care they need,” said Wendy Smith, AFSCME Local 558 President and Community Health Nurse II for the Health Department. 

“I am pleased that the new union contract will ensure pay increases on a step scale in addition to cost of living adjustments. This new contract also addresses health and safety issues, which will allow Local 558 members to safely provide medical care and health services to students and the community,” said Charmanique Gingles, a Nurse Educator for the Health Department and an AFSCME Local 558 member. 

“The work that Local 2202 members do in the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success is essential to ensuring the office operates and functions smoothly so that constituents can receive the services that they need. With this new step scale, we will finally have individuals that can stay here longer and make this a career that they can do until they retire. Signed, sealed, and ready to deliver — I’m excited for this new contract and this new chapter for city employees,” said Jacqueline Powell, AFSCME Local 2202 President and a Human Services Worker II for the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success. 

“This is my first time being on the bargaining team. It was inspiring to see all of our locals coming together to tackle not only the similar issues we all face but also the unique ones too. This contract contains many improvements to telework, health and safety, and more, and I can’t wait for us to ratify this contract. This process is proof that doors don’t just open for us; we have to sign them into existence,” said Lisa Williams, an Energy Program Technician II for the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success and an AFSCME Local 2202 member. 

In the coming weeks, AFSCME Local 44, Local 558, and Local 2202 members will vote to ratify this tentative agreement before the agreement is presented in front of the City’s Board of Estimates. The following members served on the AFSCME Bargaining Team that negotiated this tentative agreement: 

Local 44 

  • Alonzo Blue, Department of Public Works (Water and Waste Water) 
  • Edward Brown, Baltimore Convention Center 
  • Dorothy Bryant, Health Department 
  • Zeus Collins, Department of General Services 
  • Kim Farabee, Department of Transportation 
  • Arthur King, Department of Transportation 
  • Allen Mahomes, Department of Transportation 
  • Reginald Moore, Department of General Services 
  • Dashae Parham, Department of Public Works (Water and Waste Water) 
  • Bernie Taylor, Department of Recreation and Parks 
  • Trevor Taylor, Department of Public Works (Water and Waste Water) 
  • Anthony Wyche, Department of Public Works (Solid Waste) 

Local 558 

  • Wendy Smith, Health Department 
  • Tia Harp, Health Department 
  • Jocelyn Robinson, Health Department 
  • Charmanique Gingles, Health Department 
  • Latarsha Henderson, Health Department 
  • Nicole Jones, Health Department

Local 2202 

  • Jacqueline Powell, Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success 
  • Tiffany Cash, Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success 
  • Lisa Williams, Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success 
  • Charlie Taylor, Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success 

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About AFSCME Maryland Council 3 

AFSCME Local 44 represents over 3,000 workers throughout Baltimore City. This includes over 2,000 workers across various city departments, including the Department of Public Works, Recreation and Parks, and Transportation, as well as nearly 1,000 workers for the Baltimore City Public School System. AFSCME Local 558 represents over 50 nurses and nursing staff who work in Baltimore’s public schools and in the community. AFSCME Local 2202 represents over 70 workers for the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success. AFSCME Locals 44, 558, and 2202 are all local unions affiliated with AFSCME Maryland Council 3. 

AFSCME Maryland Council 3 represents over 56,000 public service workers in local, city, county and state government as well as in higher education and the private sector who provide the valuable public services that our communities rely on. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, we make Maryland happen.