MCEA MEMORANDUM

To: State Employees

From: Robert Stephens, Interim Executive Director

Date: April 25, 2007

Subject: Call to Action - Release of State Employees' Personal Information

As you know, AFSCME has requested the home addresses and phone numbers for the approximately 25,000 state employees assigned to their six state bargaining units. In accordance with Senate Bill 348, which the Maryland General Assembly enacted last year, the Department of Budget and Management recently notified employees that the request was made, and that the employees can opt out of having the state release their personal information by returning the form and mailing it back to DBM by April 17, 2007.

MCEA believes a significant number of employees did not receive the15 days to respond with their objection, as required by the statute. We need employees to complete an affidavit to that effect.

The deadline was later extended to April 23, but the majority of employees was either not notified of that extension or received the notification too late to act. On April 17 and April 23, MCEA spoke about our concerns with Cindy Kollner, acting Executive Director of the Office of Personnel Services and Benefits. On April 23, MCEA requested that Comptroller Peter Franchot, Attorney General Douglas Gansler and DBM Secretary Eloise Foster stop the release of any information. On April 24, we hand-delivered letters to various elected officials appealing to them to stop any release of employees' information until the notification process is investigated and the notification letters are re-issued.

The Executive Committee of the MCEA Board of Directors has authorized the filing of an injunction. To attain the best opportunity to protect employees' information, we must obtain affidavits from affected state employees covered by Bargaining Units A (Labor and Trades); B (Administrative, Technical and Clerical); C (Regulatory, Inspection and License); D (Health and Human Services-Non Professionals); F (Social and Human Services Professionals); and H (Public Safety and Security).

The employee should complete the affidavit and fax it immediately to Headquarters, 410-298-6182, then mail the original to MCEA, Attention: Project Affidavit, 7127 Rutherford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21244. It is very important that we collect as many affidavits as we can, and collect them as quickly as possible. Download an affidavit for prompt action.