By Nicole Pilsbury and Sanya Wason
Maryland unions joined forces at the Maryland General Assembly Monday night to lobby for collective bargaining rights, workplace safety, fair wages and adequate staffing.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1072, which represents more than 3,700 employees at the University of Maryland and University of Maryland Global Campus, lobbied state lawmakers for more cost of living adjustments and workplace safety regulations. More than 200 people attended the event in Annapolis, which was hosted by the Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO.
“When unions express their powers through their numbers, and you have large numbers of people who have common concerns and common goals show up to make their voices heard, that is difficult to ignore,” Todd Holden, AFSCME Local 1072’s president, told The Diamondback. “The outcomes of state workers are often reflective of the concerns that any Marylander faces as well.”
Unions are concerned about staffing levels in state agencies and hope state services are not impacted by Maryland’s $3 billion budget deficit, according to Holden.
Maryland workers’ wages should keep up with inflation and employees should have access to public transportation, Holden added.
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“Even without the deficit, there are real concerns about being able to adequately staff Maryland and provide the services that all the residents of the state actually want and need,” Holden said.
During Monday night’s event, attendees handed out flyers to lawmakers that detailed the legislation they were advocating for and listened to speeches from union leaders.
The organizations rallied for bills that would protect collective bargaining rights, expand health insurance and enhance workplace safety.
Attendee Lucy Hebner, assistant coordinator for prevention education at the University Health Center, attended the rally to fight for workers’ well-being and higher salaries.
“University administrators don’t wake up every morning saying that they need to pay their workers more and treat them better,” she told The Diamondback. “It’s the people on the ground who do that work, and so I wanted to do my part, pay my dues and be one of the many voices for improving working conditions at the university.”
In a speech at the rally, AFSCME Maryland Council 3 secretary-treasurer Cherrish Vick honored three Maryland union members who died in work related incidents: Davis Martinez, who died on a home parole visit; Ronald Silver II, who died after experiencing extreme heat exposure during his sanitation route; and Timothy Cartwell, who died after he was crushed by the trash truck he was working with.
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“These brothers are not just statistics. They’re brothers, fathers, friends, sons — they are workers who did everything they were asked to do and still paid the ultimate price for it,” Vick said. “Enough is enough. These losses aren’t just tragic, they’re unacceptable and we won’t stand by in silence.”
AFSCME supports the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act, which establishes a Public Employee’s Safety and Health Unit in the Maryland Department of Labor, according to the act. This unit expands on the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health program by establishing requirements and penalties for public employers.
The unit would also regularly inspect workplaces of public bodies to ensure it complies with inspection requirements, according to the act.
Holden noted that public employees face a lack of accountability from managers and supervisors when dealing with work safety issues, as managers minimize health and safety concerns. This bill would provide a framework for accountability, he said.
Attendees came from several unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union Local 24, Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers’ Maryland chapter and SteamFitters Local 602.
Andrew Swetz, an AFSCME Local 434 member, has attended about six lobby nights since January. Although he only joined AFSCME in June, Swetz has been a political activist a lot of his life.
The building service worker at Parkville High School in Baltimore County advocated for fair wages and better employee safety on Monday night.
“It’s empowering and inspiring … the power of collective bargaining and collective action,” Swetz said. “People have the power, and we need to take our power back.”
