July 24, 2010 - Delegates Vote to Strengthen MCEA through AFT Affiliation

By an overwhelming margin of 374 to 12, delegates attending the July 24, 2010 MCEA
special convention voted to confirm the MCEA Board of Directors'
recommendation to affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers. AFT
is a nationwide union representing more than 1.5 million public employee
members. Convening at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum, Maryland, MCEA
delegates from across the state heard detailed presentations on all aspects
of the proposed affiliation. Questions, comments and debate centered on the
future of MCEA and its diverse statewide membership. The special
convention on affiliation took place after more than a year of research on
potential affiliation partners that included consideration of a wide array
of national unions.

MCEA Executive Director, David Boschert, spoke out at the meeting explaining,
"We have to move forward in the coming years with programs for
organizing, growth and communications that improve our representation of
Maryland's public employees. Our partnership with the AFT can help us to
achieve these goals. This is an affiliation that makes sense for both the
MCEA and the AFT."

MCEA Board Member and Area Governor, Tamara Byrd, pointed out to the
convention delegates that, "We looked carefully at the programs and services
available from many different unions and were most impressed with what we
saw at the AFT. This is clearly the best fit for us. I'm excited and
thrilled about this affiliation, and I know it can help activate and energize
our activists across the state. We also need to be involved in the
challenges that face public employees across the country. We need to be
part of a national union."

AFT's Director for Public Employees, Steve Porter, who attended the
convention and spoke to the convention delegates, hailed the vote as a
"Great opportunity for MCEA, for the AFT, and for public employees
throughout Maryland. Together, we can bring more effective representation
to state employees, higher education employees, and to county and municipal
employees. We look forward to working with the MCEA leadership and staff to
build programs that involve members in the growth and development of their
union. Our partnership can add value and resources to help make this
happen."

Dr. Lorretta Johnson, Executive Vice President of the AFT and Former
President of AFT Maryland, was excited by the news of the affiliation vote.
"This is an historic vote. It will open doors for cooperation and growth
that I always knew were possible. We intend to take full advantage of the
opportunity. MCEA leaders and convention delegates will look back with
pride on the decision they have made to affiliate with the AFT. This is a
great day," she exclaimed.

MCEA President, Steve Schaefer, reflected on the eventful day that also
included the birth of his new grandson at 12:37 a.m. that morning. "I am
exhausted and tired, but I couldn't be more pleased. This is a wonderful
day for my family at home and for my MCEA family. I watched the birth of my
new grandson and the birth of a great new partnership. Both have a
brilliant future ahead."

Attention MCEA Members!

The Maryland Classified Employees Association has been advocating for the rights of State employees for 75 years and that dedication and mission will continue for the next 75 years and beyond! These are difficult times for all Marylanders, but sadly, as always, the State's financial hardships are felt most keenly by State workers. We plan to continue to provide representation, advocacy, and support for the men and women who serve this State, and toward that end, MCEA's leaders are looking to ways to strengthen our Association and protect our legacy and our voice. All such efforts are being made with the goal of expanding not only the power of MCEA, but the power of the collective voices of State employees - we need to be truly working together during these trying times, toward our common goal of a better workplace for all!

Please support MCEA's efforts - we continue, everyday, to represent our members and to advocate for the rights of all State and public employees in Maryland. As always, our most important job is yours!

MCEA is gearing up for this bill and strongly supports it, for it ensures the protection of state employees so their hard-earned money stays in their own pockets.

HB 655 - State Government - Furloughs and Temporary Salary Reductions. Proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution that authorizes the General Assembly, for any fiscal year, to supersede resolutions passed by the General Assembly and reduce the compensation for a member; prohibiting a joint resolution passed by the General Assembly from increasing General Assembly compensation; authorizing the General Assembly to alter the salaries of members at specified times; requiring the Governor to convene the General Assembly in extraordinary session under specified circumstances; etc. Hearing March 11, 2010, 1:00 p.m., Appropriations, Delegates Impallaria, Aumann, Boteler, Costa, Dwyer, George, Jennings, Kach, Krebs, McComas, McDonough, Schuh, Shewell, Sossi, and Stocksdale. http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/hb/hb0655f.pdf

Attention All State Employees - Remember to Watch Out for Your Next MOU Contract!

You will be receiving your MOU contract at some point between between July 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Please make sure to carefully read through this memorandum and look for a reference to yourself as required to pay a fair share, a service fee, or any other wording that will take money from your paycheck. If you discover such wording, then your choice should be quite easy. Vote NO on this memorandum and then send it back to its originator. As a state employee, you have the right to vote on this memorandum, whether you want a mandatory service fee taken out of your paycheck or not. It’s up to you, and your future lies in your hands. So please be proactive.

House Bill 1346, repealing "The Fair Share Act" is in the 2010 legislature now. MCEA strongly supports this bill and is actively repealing service fees and will continue to fight for state employees to keep their hard-earned money in their own pockets.

HB 1346 - State Employees - Collective Bargaining - "The Fair Share Act" - Repeal. Repealing provisions of law authorizing collective bargaining negotiations pertaining to specified State employees to include negotiations relating to the right of an employee organization to receive service fees from nonmembers; and repealing an exemption for employees with specified religious beliefs and a requirement that the employees pay a specified amount of money to a specified charitable organization. Appropriations Committee, Delegates Shank, Bartlett, Bates, Beitzel, George, Haddaway, Kach, Krebs, McComas, McConkey, and Smigiel. http://www.mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/hb/hb1338f.pdf

2009 Convention Results

MCEA's 2009 Annual Convention was held in Ocean City, Maryland on October 12 and 13 at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center located on 44th Street.

It was a huge success! More than 200 members, delegates, Board of Directors, Area Governors, Chapter Presidents, MCEA Officers, staff, special guests and officials attended and voiced their concerns to vote on making new improvements for the 2010 year for all state and county employees.

Legislative leaders including Ocean City Mayor Richard W. Meehan, Former Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, and Harford County Executive David R. Craig were in attendance and delivered supportive, inspiring speeches as well.

The MCEA Delegates elected MCEA's new Officers and Board of Directors. The new Officers are Stephen J. Schaefer, President; Linda Day, 1st Vice President; Michael Miller, 2nd Vice President; Phyllis Lickliter, Treasurer; and David Stewart, Secretary. They will serve a two year term, expiring in 2011. The new Board of Directors are Anna Cluster, Christopher Farnell, Marion Barnard Jones, Antoinette Perry, and Agnes Valenzia. They will all serve a two year term, and Ms. Valenzia will serve a one year term. Congratulations to the new leadership of MCEA and welcome aboard!

“I am honored to be chosen as the new MCEA President. The newly elected leadership is looking forward to a challenging year with a new vision and innovative ideas and membership input. I'm looking forward to an exciting year by expanding membership into the counties, and it will be a pleasure to work with everyone, including the Board, staff and members,” stated MCEA President Stephen Schaefer.

Mr. Schaefer has been a dedicated, active member of MCEA for 25 years. He most recently served as MCEA’s 2nd Vice President for two years and a Board Director for three years. He also served as President of Chapter 201 (Office of Public Defenders) for eight years and former Chair of TEAM, as well as past Chair of the Resolutions Committee. He has been a state employee for 26 years and works for the Office of the Public Defender. Mr. Schaefer can be contacted at 443-938-1764 or popschaefer@verizon.net.

The MCEA Delegation and staff unwound during the evening by participating in social events, which included MCEA’s Candidates' Reception at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront and Conference Center (Convention Headquarters Hotel), and mingling with the Delegation at Seacrets Nightclub dancing the night away. Special thanks to all our guest speakers, delegates, members, Convention Committee and staff for attending this year’s Convention and in making your voice count for the betterment of state and county employees in 2010.

The Latest on Furloughs (2009)

MCEA is outraged at the Governor for continuing to reach into the pockets of hard-working, financially challenged State workers. We have always opposed any pay cuts, furloughs, benefit cuts and services fees and will continue to fight for state employees in these trying times. We will remain active in our fight to help state employees, so join MCEA and join the fight!

Governor O'Malley’s latest round of budget cuts cost 205 state employees their jobs and slashed more than $210 million in funding for road maintenance, health care, community colleges and police funding in Baltimore and the surrounding 23 counties. Despite MCEA’s numerous efforts to stop the Governor from balancing the budget on the backs of state workers again, the Governor’s proposal also included furloughs for most of the state’s 70,000 employees, a shutdown of routine government operations on five days near holidays and other agency cutbacks.

State government offices will also be shut down for five days, including the days before Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Year's Eve, and the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Employees making more than $40,000 a year will not be paid for all of those days. Workers making less than $40,000 wouldn't be paid for three days and would have to take vacation or comp time for the other two days. Those pay cuts would be spread throughout the remaining 10 months of the fiscal year. Unlike last year's furlough plan, which contained as many as five unpaid days depending on salary level, emergency personnel will be required to take some unpaid days. And this time, employees will be allowed to take additional voluntary furlough days or seek a 35-hour work week for less pay.

State employee furlough and pay reduction plan by income:

• Less than $40,000: 3 days
• $40,000 to $50,000: 8 days
• $50,000 to $100,000: 9 days
• More than $100,000: 10 days

Heavy budget cuts of more than a half million dollars have also been shaved from Public Safety and Correctional Services as well. The Eastern Correctional Institution is a national model of Maryland’s largest prison that has been affected. The Board of Public Works of Maryland agreed to cut/transfer $280 million from the state budget to help make up for a $700 million financial hole. The DPSCS portion includes the elimination of correctional offer retention bonuses, a budget reduction of $588,000, a $25,000 re-estimation of contractual services costs based on actual expenditures, and a transfer of $500,000 from the Maryland Correctional Enterprises’ $1 million fund balance to the general fund.

MCEA Opposes Service Fees

Taxation without representation? No way! No how! Take action now!

Senate Bill 264/House Bill 298 are bills from the Governor that would allow bargaining agents to negotiate service fees, (also called “fair share” or agency fees) for collective bargaining. This means that tens of thousands of employees who are not dues-paying members of the exclusive bargaining representatives could pay approximately $250 a year by payroll deduction. The unions (AFSCME, MFNHCP and MPEC) would collect millions each year of your hard-earned dollars to be deposited into their coffers. Now does that really sound like a fair share to you?!

MCEA opposes all service fees and fights to make sure these service fee bills do not pass. MCEA is adamant about protecting its members by making sure they are treated equally and fairly. Service fees are against the law. So please be prepared to vote service fees down! Watch for service fee legislation. Read documents word for word and make sure they are not hidden in upcoming bargaining union contracts. Service fees are not fair, and they hurt working families. MCEA will make sure its members are treated right.

For more information about service fees, please go to http://mcea.org/Templates/flyers.htm