ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore has signed five three-year memoranda of understanding between the State of Maryland and Maryland’s four major civilian employee labor unions. The governor was joined for the signing ceremony by Maryland Department of Budget and Management Secretary Helene Grady and members from all four labor unions: American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC); American Federation of Teachers – Maryland (AFT); and the American Federation of Teachers and Maryland School for the Deaf.

“For Maryland to win the decade, we need to ensure that every single Marylander has a seat at the table and that includes our unions,” said Governor Moore. “These MOUs will help our state employees receive fair pay and good benefits, ensure that people who serve this state are safe in their places of work, and mark the next chapter in our commitment to moving hand-in-hand with our union leaders.”

“For the first time in a long time, we had productive and transparent negotiations with state leadership, and made progress in ensuring an agreement that would honor the respect and dignity of our employees,” said AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran. “This agreement is what our workers not only earned but deserved. We are grateful to have leadership in Annapolis that supports working people and we look forward to continuing our work together.”

“Thank you to Governor Moore, Maryland Department of Budget and Management Secretary Helene Grady, and the entire Moore-Miller Administration for always making sure we felt heard during the negotiations and working with us to come to an agreement that our workers deserve,” said American Federation of Teachers Healthcare-Maryland President Yvonne Dowell.

“I want to thank the Moore-Miller Administration for the professionalism they brought to the negotiation process. This administration showed us how committed they were when they moved forward with proposals that would continue to recruit and retain good public employees,” said Maryland Professional Employees Council President Jerry Smith. “Thank you Governor Moore for putting together a great team of leaders committed to the good and welfare of all stakeholders in Maryland leaving no one behind.”

“This is the culmination of hard work from educators of generations past, who first established the Maryland School for the Deaf union over 30 years ago and for those who recently fought for our right to have collective bargaining,” said American Federation of Teachers Maryland School for the Deaf President Edna Johnston. ”The foundation of a world-class education system lies in the respect and support given to those who are engaged in this vital work. Working in partnership with the Moore-Miller Administration, we have created this agreement that I know we all are proud of.”

The five MOU labor agreements can be read online here.

Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office