AFSCME Maryland fights layoffs, demands promised raises for university staff

Baltimore Rally Highlights AFSCME Members' Fight Against Layoffs and for Promised Raises

In a bid to safeguard their jobs and secure promised salary increases, AFSCME members have taken a stand outside the University System of Maryland's Board of Regents meeting. This protest comes amid a series of layoffs affecting staff at several Maryland public universities.

On Friday, more than 75 members of AFSCME, representing employees from the University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP) and Bowie State University (BSU), gathered in Baltimore to voice their concerns. The union members are protesting the layoffs and urging the board to honor the wage increases stipulated in their contract.

"College Park announced record enrollment and record fundraising. Bowie State has been touting their largest endowment ever. The Governor’s Office and the General Assembly agreed to increased funding to the university system this year. You have more than a billion dollars in various reserve funds and endowments," stated AFSCME Maryland Council 3 President Patrick Moran. For more information, visit AFSCME Maryland Council 3.

Moran, who also serves as an AFSCME International vice president, criticized the decision to lay off workers without considering cuts to consulting contracts. "Before laying off AFSCME members, you didn’t even look at cutting the costly consultants and contracts that profit off the university system. This is mismanagement and failure at the highest levels, and you have made the hardworking staff who directly work with our students take the hit," he added.

Recently, UMCP announced plans to eliminate 73 positions represented by AFSCME, while BSU laid off 21 such positions. Similar actions are being taken across other universities within the system. These layoffs impact roles crucial to student and staff support, spanning various departments.

Emily Leak, recently laid off as the only integrated care manager at UMCP, expressed concern over the redistribution of her workload. "The work did not disappear when my position was eliminated. It has been redistributed among already-burdened staff, creating delayed referrals, fragmented follow-up, communication breakdowns, and increased risk of student deaths and suicides," Leak said. "If student mental health is truly a priority, staffing decisions must reflect that commitment."

Victoria Kelly, an administrative assistant at BSU and vice president of Local 1297, highlighted the disproportionate impact on lower-paid workers. "With these layoffs, you are asking some of our lowest paid workers — who are NOT the reason Bowie is facing a budget problem — to pay the highest price: their livelihoods and careers. You are telling Bowie’s students that their campus experience and their success don’t matter by cutting the positions who work directly with them," Kelly stated.

The current union contract mandates a 1.5% cost of living adjustment, a 2.5% merit increase, and a $500 flat increase. These adjustments, totaling $20.6 million for the university system, are fully funded by state allocations, yet USM leaders have not implemented them.

AFSCME Council 3 represents over 55,000 workers in various sectors, including public service, higher education, and the private sector.