BCCC faculty rally for better pay, working conditions, fair contract
Dozens of BCCC faculty rallied at Liberty Heights, warning that late pay and canceled classes are hurting students and the college's workforce mission.
Dozens of Baltimore City Community College faculty gathered at the Liberty Heights campus Wednesday afternoon to press for higher pay, better working conditions and a fair contract, turning a labor dispute into a direct warning about classroom disruption for roughly 4,375 students.
The rally brought together faculty members and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1879, part of a longer contract fight that has left instructors frustrated over compensation and support. Protesters also delivered their demands to college leadership, but were met by Michael Thomas, the vice president of workforce development and continuing education, rather than President Debra McCurdy.
The stakes extend well beyond the picket line. Dr. Laura Pope said students have been stopping her in the hallway to complain about canceled classes, a sign that staffing and scheduling problems are already affecting daily instruction. In the earlier rounds of this dispute, Pope said she was teaching an eight-week class through Oct. 17 but would not be paid until May 2026. Angelique Cook-Hayes, an assistant professor of English, said the problems were creating "unnecessary disruptions" and barriers to students’ academic progress.
The conflict has been building since faculty unionized with United Academics of Maryland, an affiliate of AFT Maryland, in October 2024. By last fall, union leaders said some faculty had been paid weeks to months late, while others received inaccurate pay or no pay at all. When classes started on Aug. 25, more than 50 courses had no instructor, a gap that underscored how quickly payroll and staffing problems can spill into the academic schedule.
The dispute also has moved into formal labor proceedings. On Sept. 17, 2025, AFSCME Maryland Council 3 and AFSCME Local 1870 filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Maryland Public Employee Relations Board, accusing BCCC of refusing to bargain in good faith over wages. In its Dec. 31, 2025 decision, the board said wages are a mandatory subject of bargaining under the Public Employee Relations Act and noted that the parties’ memorandums of understanding had expired on July 13, 2024 but remained in effect during the dispute. The board also said it held a limited evidentiary hearing on Dec. 15, 2025.
BCCC has said any resolution must provide competitive wages and benefits while protecting the college’s long-term financial health. That balance matters at an institution that saw enrollment rise 11.1% in fall 2024 from the year before, reaching about 4,375 students in the 2024-25 academic year. Maryland State Archives traces the college’s history back to Baltimore Junior College in 1947, a reminder that the city has long relied on this campus as a gateway to credentials, training and upward mobility.
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