AFSCME drops unfair labor practice suit against Moore, university system

A state employees’ union dropped its unfair labor practices lawsuit against the governor and the state university system after the university agreed to pay negotiated raises that it had threatened to withhold, the governor’s office announced Tuesday.

The governor’s office said in a statement that the system will cover the raises for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees campus workers with $13.8 million out of its fund balance for this fiscal year. The governor’s office has also agreed to build that funding amount into its base budget for fiscal 2028.

“Maryland’s public colleges and universities are only as strong as the workers behind them, and this agreement is a reflection of that principle,” Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in a prepared statement. “Through partnership, we’ll continue building a world-class higher education system in Maryland for the students who depend on it.”

Sabeela Ally, executive director of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, called the agreement “a win for everyone.”

“When university system leaders attempted to treat our legally binding union contract as an option rather than an obligation, AFSCME members did not back down,” Ally said. “We sent a clear message that leading with integrity and honor as premier higher education institutions starts with treating your workers with the respect that they deserve, and we are pleased that Governor Moore and his team agree.”

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The agreement comes slightly more than a month after AFSCME members rallied outside USM headquarters in Baltimore over a dispute a dealing with appropriations for the pay raises between the state and the university system that stretched from February through March.

In total, the university system had agreed to increase wages for 5,700 non-faculty employees on nine campuses – Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; University of Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland Global Campus; and University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.

It also comes after nearly 100 AFSCME members were laid off on two campuses – 73 at the University of Maryland, College Park, and another 21 at Bowie State University.

AFSCME members rallied and attended a USM Board of Regents meeting June 12 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, to protest those layoffs.

A university system spokesperson said in June that a 1.5% cost-of-living increase was provided for all 40,000 system employees, but not additional money for merit pay, including those covered in the AFSCME contract. But system leaders said Tuesday that they were glad to see the issue settled.

“We’re grateful that we’ve been able to work collaboratively with the Governor to provide these pay increases for our employees in FY27, and we look forward to continued partnership with the Governor’s Office as we determine how to fund these raises in future years,” USM Chancellor Jay Perman and Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden said in a joint statement. “With our budget under intense pressure, we’re happy we’ve found a way to this resolution.”

While it welcomed the restoration of pay raises, the union said in a social media post Tuesday that “work continues with reinstating USM workers who were unjustifiably laid off when the funds are clearly there.”

The announcement also comes more than a week after former AFSCME President Patrick Moran was elected president of AFSCME International, the 1.4 million-member national arm of the union.

Several union leaders from various colleges and universities said they were pleased an agreement was reached.

“When I come to work every day, I agree to do my job to the best of my ability and fulfill my obligations so that the university can maintain its reputation,” said a statement from Claudette Booth, an administrative assistant at the University of Baltimore and president of the AFSCME Local 3895, which represents nearly 100 workers there. “Withholding our raises creates a culture of fear and uncertainty in our workplace that hurts our students.”