Prince George’s County Workers Plead with Council Not to Renege on Pay Raises

A coalition of unionized Prince George’s County government employees, in a tense meeting Tuesday, urged the County Council to vote down a plan to ax a pay increase that former County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) negotiated last year.

More than 30 county workers represented by a contingent of local unions from AFSCME swarmed the meeting, pleading with council members not to take back a 2010 agreement from Johnson that gave union members a 2 percent cost of living raise that would have started in January. .

The council is weighing a resolution that would terminate the agreement after current County Executive Rushern L. Baker (D) recommended against giving the raises. About 1,500 county workers would be affected by the proposal. 

During the meeting, several workers testified that their workforce is the backbone of the county government and services. They argued they were already reeling from three years without a pay raise, 20 days of furloughs and reduced staffing that has increased their workloads.

“The employees have been under a great deal of upheaval,” said Thomas Colbert of Local 3389, which represents 400 employees in the Prince George’s County Health Department.  “Please honor our contract and be fair.”

Officials from the office of County Executive Rushern L. Baker (D), who is backing the resolution, told the council that killing the pay increase would save the county millions annually.

Thomas Himler, director of the county’s Office of Management and Budget, said the raises are not feasible due to a reduction in real estate values that will create a $100 million deficit in the county’s budget by 2013.   

He said the pay increase was only negotiated with AFSCME and that other unions representing county workers would expect similar increases--something the county cannot afford. A pay increase for all county employees would cost the county as much as $13 million annually, he said.

“If the contract is approved at 2 percent, other [unions] are going to expect that, too,” Himler said.  “The chief concern is the ripple effect that this would have.”

But council member Karen Toles (D-Dist. 7) of Suitland blasted Himler and Baker for selecting the lowest paid county employees for cuts.

“I don’t see what concessions [Baker] made for his people up on the fifth floor,” she said, referring to Baker’s administrative offices.

County employees said they were counting on the raises, with several adding that they have become the sole income earners in their households due to the economic downturn.

“Our families don’t eat [if we don’t get raises],” said Deborah Beasley, a community health nurse for the county’s Health Department.

Carole Taliaferro, who works in the county’s Department of Family Services, said she is baffled as to why legislators would take away raises for the county’s most vital workers.

“They want to keep the county running,” she said. “We’re the ones who keep the county working.”

A public commenting period for the resolution will be held May 11 at the county’s administration building.  The council is scheduled to cast a final vote on the resolution May 17. 

**Editor's Note** A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed the 2 percent pay increase agreement to the Prince George's County Council.  The agreement for an increase was made by former County Executive Jack B. Johnson.