AFSCME Maryland Council 3 announced Tuesday it has filed various unfair labor practice charges against the state, alleging leadership has refused to honor previously negotiated contracts.

AFSCME Maryland is the public service employee union representing 55,000 workers across the state, almost half of which are state employees.

Patrick Moran, the president of AFSCME Maryland, explains the unfair labor practice filings range from issues around shift directionals, telework and military leave.

“The problem we have is we've negotiated policies in the past – they've been longstanding in many cases – and management is not respecting the [memorandums of understanding], and so they've left us, after a lot of conversation, they've left us no other option but to file the unfair labor practices,” Moran said at a press event.

AFSCME members say these types of filings are “very rare” but feel they are a necessary step in obtaining better labor practices for the state employees they represent.

The filings will be heard in front of the Public Employees Relations Board, which will make a final decision on the charges.

The unfair labor practices come amid ongoing wage reopener negotiations with the state, which Moran says have not been promising thus far.

“Over the last decade, AFSCME-represented state employees have fallen 10 percent behind inflation in their cost of living adjustments, and scheduled step increases were provided only half of that time,” he said.

State compensation now lags behind county government in Maryland, and Moran says state government turnover has been on the rise, which has only been exacerbated by the elimination of positions through a voluntary separation program and a statewide hiring freeze.

AFSCME Maryland Secretary-Treasurer and Department of Human Services employee Cherrish Vick says the state needs to have more urgency around cost savings.

“It is absurd to hear calls for a balanced budget that rely on state workers giving up what we deserve when the state cannot responsibly manage their spending on contracted out services,” Vick said. “We are ready, and we have been ready, to partner with the state on how to cut costs in a real, sustainable way that doesn't harm state employees, state services and Maryland's working families.”

Moran says AFSCME has offered the state numerous cost-saving measures that have not been taken seriously.

“We are on the precipice of a new legislative session, and the governor will propose a budget that will have to deliver quality state services to all of Maryland,” Moran said. “Standing with public employees means providing wage increases that ensure our members can stay in state service and continue to provide the services that millions of our fellow Marylanders rely on.”

AFSCME’s wage bargaining deadline with the state is the last day of the year. If no agreement is reached, the state can impose its best and final offer, which Moran says would be “very unfortunate.”

Gov. Wes Moore’s office did not respond to a request for comment.