AFSCME says University System of Maryland is blocking promised raises

AFSCME Maryland Council 3 says University System of Maryland workers are fighting to secure promised raises and stop layoffs, a dispute that reaches Baltimore campuses where staff keep classes, offices and support operations moving. The system’s own salary history shows a 3.0% cost-of-living adjustment granted on July 1, 2025, while union materials say a new USM contract delivered over 9% in raises, expanded leave and more.

The union’s contract flyer says the agreement included a 3% cost-of-living adjustment on July 1, 2024 and a 2.5% merit increase for some employees. That makes the current fight less about one round of pay and more about whether compensation commitments already described in system materials are reaching workers as promised. For employees on fixed wages, even a delayed increase can hit groceries, rent and transit costs immediately.

The stakes are especially visible in Baltimore City, where the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County depend on the same systemwide staffing pool. Those campuses rely on employees who handle student services, facilities, offices and day-to-day operations, and a wage fight can quickly affect retention and recruitment in a region where public higher education and medical institutions are major employers. When workers leave for better pay elsewhere, the pressure lands on those who remain and on the services students and patients see first.

AFSCME has also tied the wage dispute to layoffs, saying members across the system are fighting to prevent job cuts while getting the raises they were promised. The union said it rallied members to protest layoffs at two Maryland universities and described those cuts as among the largest in recent years. That framing puts staffing and compensation in the same fight, with workers arguing that campuses cannot absorb cuts and still deliver stable service.

The University System of Maryland says its network includes 12 institutions, three regional centers and one system office, which means a pay dispute at the top can ripple across College Park, Baltimore, Eastern Shore and the Shady Grove campuses at once. USM board and staff governance materials also show that pay and workforce issues come up repeatedly, underscoring how often compensation decisions shape the system’s ability to keep experienced employees and maintain operations.