BALTIMORE – Nearly 6,000 people who work for Maryland’s public universities are seeing the union difference as they celebrate a historic first contract that improves their pay, benefits and working conditions.
At a signing ceremony on Aug. 2, AFSCME Maryland Council 3 and the University System of Maryland (USM) announced the first system-wide contract for AFSCME-represented workers. The ceremony came after the workers overwhelmingly ratified the contract over a two-week period in July. The USM Board of Regents then ratified the contract during a July 31 board meeting.
“The ratification of this contract is historic and only made possible by each and every one of our union members. From these raises to increased safety protocols to an expansion of our rights in the workplace, I’m proud of what our bargaining team has accomplished, and everyone can see the power and value of our union when we work together,” said Debbie Michaels, a program administrative specialist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
This victory represents a major shift. No longer do workers have to negotiate individual union contracts for each campus. They now have a single unified contract across the system that more effectively addresses disparities in pay and working conditions between schools.
“In past negotiations for our union contract at College Park, management repeatedly tried to avoid discussing important issues such as health and safety protocols and their reliance on contractual employees,” said Jeanne Pekny, a program administrative specialist at the University of Maryland, College Park. “But bargaining a contract for the entire university system meant system leadership had to finally stop pitting us against one another. This is the best contract we have ever had. And this is just the first of many great contracts to come in the future.”
Jontae Thomas, a mechanical trades chief at Bowie State, one of the nation’s historically Black universities, said ratifying the contract was an important moment for USM employees like him.
“To have proper protocols and requirements in place for air quality, asbestos, heat, and more, is a critical step in the right direction for the safety and well-being of workers across the university system,” Thomas said.
The contract vote was the culmination of a negotiating process that started in August 2022. The talks were made possible only after the Maryland General Assembly overrode former Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of SB 9 in the 2021 legislative session. The legislation allowed for the possibility of negotiating a unified contract for the entire university system.
Council 3 President Patrick Moran called the contract a “historic accomplishment … many years in the making.”
“And now, for the first time, the hardworking staff at these University System of Maryland schools will have a strong union contract that raises the bar across the board when it comes to pay, benefits and working conditions,” Moran said. “Gone are the days of each university trying to divide us because they know we’re stronger when we advocate together.”
This new contract runs from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027. Highlights include:
- Upwards of 5% or more in pay increases, including a longevity increase for workers with at least five years of service
- Increase in the minimum wage from $32,000 a year (to $38,000 (approximately $18.22/hour)
- Additional pay increases in the second and third years of the contract
- Other pay improvements, including on-call pay, call-back pay, acting capacity pay, and more
- Improved annual leave accrual for staff as well as establishment of employee-to-employee leave donations and a leave reserve fund
- Establishment of health and safety protocols around heat safety and air quality, “right to know” language that university must notify employees of hazards, and safety equipment and trainings
- No increase in parking fees for those making less than $55,000 and limits on how much parking fees can be increased
- Additional rights for contractual employees, workplace privacy protections, and more.