When we fight… we win! That was the battle cry at the 2018 Maryland Professional Employees Council annual member meeting. The meeting addressed the Supreme Court’s
Janus decision but also focused on upcoming battles the union would be undertaking. Staff and members received thorough overviews from
Royale Simms about the state of contracts and the give and take of previous negotiations with the state. Simms also spoke about many of the day-to-day challenges members of the bargaining unit experience. Members appreciated the thorough and candid conversation in Simms report.
Interim Director
Jacquelyn Raines addressed the membership and gave a passionate and heartfelt plea to the members to get off the sidelines and continue to be active and engaged members of their union. She noted that she had also been a state employee before her time working at MPEC so she knew exactly the challenges Maryland state workers face.
President Jerry Smith reminded the audience that the Janus decision, while it was a setback, does not mean the end of MPEC. He noted that the first thing the union must continue to do is organize. He also noted that he wanted greater participation and feedback from members as they head toward their next negotiations. He concluded singing a melody that included the lyrics “we will fight, we will win.”
2018-07-02
