MD admits its been underpaying some state employees

Union leaders in Maryland are calling for the state to pay up after it was revealed Friday that the state had been underpaying some state employees. Workers Unions in the state tell 47 ABC this has been going on for almost 40 years.

According to the state 13,000 employees may have been short-changed by as much as $30 dollars per day.

The state realized this when they switched to a computerized payroll system this spring.

The program pin-pointed a problem with how overtime and shift pay was calculated for employees that work in 24/7 facilities, such as hospitals and prisons.

State officials have planned to meet with unions to work out a solution, but unions said the solution is quite simple.

“I don’t think this is a negotiation at all, I think this is a ‘you need to pay people’ for the work they did and that’s about it. So we want to know when they’re going to get paid and how they’re going to get paid,” said Patrick Moran, President for AFSCME Maryland Council 3.

Hogan’s office released a statement to 47 ABC today that said in part “This issue cannot be swept under the rug and we are committed to working with state employees to make this right. Gov. Hogan was elected to clean up these kinds of problems, and that is precisely what his administration is doing.”

Union workers claim they’ve suspected the payroll error for years.