Support the Right to Living Wages and Collective Bargaining for Maryland Higher Ed Workers!

We, the undersigned, demand that the Maryland General Assembly, incoming Governor Wes Moore, and the leadership of Maryland State higher education institutions support living wages and the passage of a bill that would give Maryland State higher education workers the right to bargain collectively. As members of the university communities within the state of Maryland, we believe that workers should have a strong and collective voice in decisions that affect our working conditions, salaries, and benefits. Collective bargaining is a fundamental right that allows workers to negotiate fair and equitable contracts with our employers, and it is essential for promoting fairness, respect, and dignity in the workplace. Across the United States, many public and private higher education institutions engage in collective bargaining, including many peer institutions. Collective bargaining encourages transparency and accountability between workers and management. Without this, the highest levels of State higher education administration have dramatically increased their own ranks and salaries for years while denying living wages and job security to the majority of State higher education employees. USM institutions, for example, currently pay poverty level wages to their undergraduate and graduate student workers and are rapidly replacing traditional full-time faculty positions with low paid, contingent positions. Higher education workers serve an important role in the education and research mission of our universities. We deserve to be treated with respect and to have a say in the decisions that affect our lives. We demand that the members of the Maryland General Assembly and the leadership of Maryland higher education secure funding that allows a living wage and support collective bargaining rights for State higher education workers.