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Union says hundreds of state corrections workers missing pay

Rachel Baye

A few dozen members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees labor union’s Maryland chapter protested Thursday outside Government House, where Gov. Larry Hogan lives. The group was calling attention to problems with the state’s new payroll system that it says has shortchanged several hundred corrections workers.

As a result of the state’s switch to the new Workday computer program, the union says some employees haven’t gotten accurate base pay, some are missing overtime, and others haven’t been paid at all.

“People are not getting paid for the work that they do,” said AFSCME Maryland President Patrick Moran. “That is unacceptable from the governor that ran as the business governor. He would not tolerate that in any business he ever worked in.”

But Gary McLhinney, director of professional standards in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said the union’s claims are exaggerated.

The department has set up five centers where employees can get checks for missing base pay. McLhinney said on the most recent pay day this past Wednesday, the department cut checks to a total of 24 employees, out of 10,000 total.

“They’re making a lot out of not much, for whatever reason,” McLhinney said. “But we’re not discounting it because if it’s you that’s affected, it’s serious.”  

Rachel Baye is a senior reporter and editor in WYPR's newsroom.
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