Employees of the Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates the state’s toll bridges and tunnels, have kicked off a campaign for union representation even though the governor has yet to sign the bill authorizing collective bargaining at their agency. [...more]
Sixth Congressional District candidate John Delaney racked up another high profile endorsement Tuesday from Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, while Rob Garagiola collected his latest union endorsement from the United Auto Workers. Yet the race that’s been bolstered with regular negative attacks from both sides remains largely silent on policy differences between the candidates. [...more]
As we head into the Labor Day weekend, a new rating is classifying Maryland as one of the 10 most pro-government union states in the country. And that’s not a good thing, according to the Big Labor vs. Taxpayers Index released Wednesday by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank that supports free markets and opposes organized labor. [...more]
As governors and legislatures in the Midwest battle over rolling back collective bargaining rights for government workers, Maryland lawmakers are on the verge of establishing more union rights for private home health aides paid by the state. The Senate gave final approval to the bill Friday afternoon in a 31 to 16 vote with several Democrats joining the dozen Republicans opposing the bill. [...more]
The Senate Finance Committee is likely to vote today (Friday) on a controversial proposal to unionize independent home health care workers who are paid by the state -- a proposal the committee has already rejected once. [...more]
It was a bizarre finale to a rally that brought thousands of state workers and teachers to Annapolis to protest cuts in pensions, retirement benefits and pupil spending. The last speaker was none other than the man who had triggered the rally by proposing the cuts: Gov. Martin O’Malley. “I don’t like this budget either,” O’Malley said in a short speech. He was met by cheers, some grumbling, and the evening’s chant of “Keep the Promise.” [...more]
Unionized workers filled the Senate Finance Committee hearing room and the third floor of the Miller Building on Wednesday afternoon to urge committee members to kill a bill that they said would deal a crushing blow to the state’s unions. The bill, sponsored by Howard County Republican Sen. Allan Kittleman, would make Maryland a “right-to-work” state, banning mandatory union membership. [...more]
By Len Lazarick Len@MarylandReporter.com A commission on state retirement benefits voted Monday to recommend cutting the state costs of health insurance 10% by hiking premiums and reducing coverage for state employees and retirees, and shifting half the costs of teacher pensions to local school boards over the next three to five years. The commission also [...] [...more]
The Public Employees’ and Retirees’ Pension Benefit Sustainability Commission will hear what employee groups, unions and the general public think about some possible changes to retirement benefits Monday afternoon. Maryland currently has an estimated $33 billion in unfunded liabilities for benefits it has promised to pay over the next three decades -- $18 billion for pensions and $15 billion for retiree health insurance. [...more]
Gov. Martin O'Malley signed an executive order last week authorizing furloughs and pay cuts for state employees for the coming fiscal year, but at the request of the largest union of state workers, he added a provision granting furloughed workers paid administrative leave in the following year for the same amounts. State employees making at least $40,000 per year will be required to take three furlough days, while employees making $50,000 and $100,000 will have to take four and five furlough days, respectively. Other workers, including "24/7" employees such as correctional and police officers, making less than $40,000 will lose three days worth of pay for those and those making more will lose five days worth of pay. [...more]
