AFSCME union meets in Salisbury, demands better working conditions

SALISBURY, Md. – Maryland members of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Union are speaking out against what they say are harsh demands from their jobs in health, transportation, corrections and other state sectors.

Some shared experiences of burn out, and Eastern Correction Institution corrections officer sergeant, Rownite Stevens, said staffing issues have created extremely stressful working conditions for ECI employees.

“At the end of their 8-hour shift, they want to go home, and when you’re telling a person you’re not going to be able to go home in 8 hours because you’re being mandated to work, some people don’t want that,” Stevens said.

AFSCME President, Patrick Moran, said the demands at Tuesday’s rally were simple: pay state employees better and stop overworking them.

He called on elected officials to take control of the growing issue that’s led to workers being assaulted on the job and forced people to seek second, and sometimes even third jobs, to keep up with the cost of living.

“Working at a job for the state of Maryland should not be such that you have to work another job,” Moran said. “We’re just saying we want economic stability for the people that work for the state, for their families and for their communities. I don’t think that’s unrealistic.”

Stevens said now is the time for Maryland officials to listen to employees who are working overtime, to mend the cracks in the state’s employment foundation. She had this message for Governor Wes Moore.

“Governor Moore, come to the Eastern Shore, in Westover Maryland, at Eastern Correctional Institute, and see me,” Stevens said. “You can start with me and then we can go to our fellow officers and talk to them and let them tell you what’s going on at Eastern Correctional Institute.”