On Friday, June 23, MPEC members stood up at the Rally for Respect against Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation's (SDAT) illegal sick leave policy. We will not stand idle while sick leave, and thus families, are attacked.
"There is nothing in the policy to negotiate. The Maryland Professional Employees Council is here to protect the rights of employees. The sick leave policy implemented by the Department of Assessments and Taxation demonstrates the agency’s fundamental misunderstanding and misapplication of both state and federal law, and demonstrates a belief by the Director’s office that they are entitled to violate employees’ fundamental privacy rights." -Jerry Smith, MPEC President
You can view Jerry Smith's full remarks here:
jerry_smith_-_rally_for_respect_comments.docx
"When our members at SDAT saw this policy being implemented they refused to accept it. They knew that it violated their privacy. They knew that it violated our contract. They knew that it was unacceptable. We know that when labor stands together and stands alert, we can stop the assault on our dignity. Our rights, our dignity, our respect. We will not let Michael Higgs, Governor Hogan, or anyone else step on our values." -Ronny Meyers, MPEC Member
"I truly feel that SDAT management does not respect its employees or their individual situations. We are seen only as machines that output quantities of work on a daily basis. If this policy was to have been given any kind of merit and allowed to be put into effect, it would pave the way for other policies to be created without regard to the laws and contracts designed to protect State employees." -MPEC Member