May 11, 2015
By Kevin Zaph Hanes, Reprinted: www.afscme.org
Following months of mounting pressure by AFSCME Council 3 members and allies, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan backed down from a plan that would have permanently cut the 2 percent raise that all state and university employees received in January.
“Let’s be very clear, this is not a pay raise from Governor Hogan. This is Governor Hogan finally admitting he won’t take away a raise (that) hard‐working, middle‐class workers already had,” said Council 3 Pres. Patrick Moran in a letter to members. “But Governor Hogan has still not said if he will furlough state employees – that would still be a temporary pay cut to the middle‐class families of state and university employees.”
As part of recent Maryland AFSCME Strong training, members from across the state took to the doors in Baltimore to sign up new members and sound the alarm on Governor Hogan’s plan to take back the 2 percent raise that was negotiated last year. This pressure, combined with weekly rallies at the state capitol and a flood of phone calls into the governor’s office, was successful.
AFSCME members will continue to fight against furloughs.
“We have to keep up the public pressure on Governor Hogan to do the right thing – respect our service, do not furlough our hard working, middle‐class families,” said Moran.
