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This morning ballots were counted for our Tentative Agreement.  The  2018 - 2020 contract for the Maryland Professional Employees Council was ratified with an 88% vote.  The vote count was 479 in support of the contract and 63 rejecting the contract.  The three witnesses to the vote count were President Jerry Smith, Chief Steward Ronnie Myers and Al Dyer.  The count was completed by AFT National Staff Jennifer Porcari and Destiny Turnboe. 

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Dear Member;

Your voices were heard LOUD and CLEAR.

Our bargaining team negotiated a fair and equitable raise in the next fiscal year. That means, come January 1, 2019, members of Bargaining Unit G will receive a 2% raise.  If revenues beat projections in 2018, you will also receive an additional half-percent raise and a $500 bonus.

Concrete, guaranteed 2% raise next year.

What’s more, we negotiated two additional health care premium holidays in March of 2018, this is on top of the two premium holidays employees currently receive. That means more money in your pocket.  More importantly, employer

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“A fair and equitable wage means to me that I will be able to afford adequate childcare for my 3-month-old son. It will mean that I can count on my pay to be able to provide all of the necessities needed to take care of my family. It will help me to focus more on my work than worrying whether I will be able to pay the bills this month.”

 

 
 
 
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Dear Member,

Yesterday we met with the State’s negotiators to try to make progress on the issue of wages.

We told the State that we are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet, that we are all members of the team that provides the essential services the citizens of Maryland deserve. We let the State know that we contribute to our communities, that we have been taking the hits because we are dedicated! We also emphasized that we are always the first ones that must give up something and as a result, we’re being left far behind, financially. 

We provided the State with a package that proposed a 2%

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Trick or treat? That’s the question on the bargaining table this week. 
 
Trick: The State’s proposal is a scheme that is contingent on general fund revenues dramatically outstripping estimates. This is  so uncertain that the criteria for a raise would have been met in just 3 of the last six years—we might as well flip a coin for a raise if the State has its way.
 
Treat: The bargaining team has proposed a fair and equitable wage increase for members—a 3.5 percent across the board raise. 
 
We’ve been knocking at the door, but the lights are off at Governor Hogan’s, and it’s unclear if anyone is
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“So I won't have to live paycheck-to-paycheck.”
 
“Not needing to have a second job.”
 
“Being able to maintain my standard of living.”
 
Dear MPEC Member, 
 
Last week I asked you to share what a “fair and equitable wage increase” means to you, and you responded. You told me you wanted to hold onto what you had, be able to save a little bit for your future, and feel valued in your work, in service to the people of Maryland. 
 
One member wrote: 
 
A fair and equitable wage increase means that I won't have to worry if my paycheck will cover my expenses that month (mortgage, car payment, student loan
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