Release: AFSCME Maryland Members Call for Urgent Changes to Address Road and Workplace Safety

AFSCME Maryland Council 3
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
April 30, 2026 

AFSCME Maryland Members Call for Urgent Changes to Address Road and Workplace Safety 
Following the deaths of two Maryland State Highway Administration workers in less than a week, largest union representing Maryland state workers urges immediate reforms to keep transportation workers safe 

Baltimore, MD — On Thursday, April 30, AFSCME Maryland Council 3 leaders and members held a press conference calling attention to urgent changes needed following the deaths of two Maryland State Highway Administration workers in the same week. A recording of the livestream can be found here. 

Robert W. Dempsey and Dipakkumar Patel, both AFSCME bargaining unit members, were both killed in separate incidents this week. Both were struck by vehicles while working on state highways and were killed on impact. 

“These losses are devastating and unacceptable. Last week, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) was touting National Work Zone Awareness Week, and now this week, we’ve had two fatalities,” said AFSCME Maryland Council 3 President Patrick Moran. 

“We are the ones clearing the streets, responding to accidents, maintaining the streets, cleaning the trash, cutting the grass, fixing the potholes, and plowing the snow. In many ways, we are first responders, keeping our roads safe for everyone who uses them.  These deaths hit home for me. This could have happened to me or anyone in my shop. One false move and that’s it. How many more of my coworkers have to die for something to really be done?” said AFSCME Local 1867 President Chris Caine, a Facilities Maintenance Technician III for the State Highway Administration. 

“I’ve seen my fair share of unnecessary close calls during my time with SHA. And what’s a shame is that what we are saying here is nothing new. These numbers are from SHA itself: an average of 9 fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and over a thousand crashes every year in work zones. This is unacceptable,” said AFSCME Local 631 President and Chief Shop Steward Wynton Johnson, a Facilities Maintenance Technician III for the State Highway Administration. 

AFSCME Maryland is calling for the following: 

  • The immediate formation of a workgroup comprised of AFSCME members and MDOT leaders to determine and implement concrete next steps to keep all MDOT workers safe, especially those who are working on Maryland roadways 
  • Thorough investigations by Maryland Occupational Safety Health of both fatalities and how they can be prevented in the future 
  • Robust traffic control plans, including overhead and road signage alerting drivers of upcoming work zones or road work 
  • Improved training, including regular on-the-job training and refreshers 
  • Better equipment and protective gear, including stronger barriers and functioning trucks 
  • Better promotion and enforcement of the Move Over Law and Work Zone Safety Law to Maryland drivers 

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About AFSCME Maryland Council 3  
AFSCME Maryland Council 3 represents over 55,000 public service workers at the local, city, county, state, and higher education levels who provide the valuable public services that our communities rely on. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, we make Maryland happen.