Prince George’s County Council Votes Down Worker Pay Raise

This story was updated at 8 p.m. Wednesday

Months of wrangling over a controversial plan to give pay raises to Prince George’s County workers ended Tuesday with a tense vote by the county council, which decided 5-4 against the raises.

The vote marked the end of an emotionally charged campaign from AFSCME union members to try to persuade the county council to recognize an agreement made by former County Executive Jack Johnson that would have given a 2 percent cost of living raise that was suppose to start in January of this year.

Members charged that they hadn’t received cost of living raises in more than two years even though their workloads increased due to layoffs and furloughs. They said they would sue over the denial of the raises.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker had warned the council against approving the pay raises. The council has heard from union members during several hearings but Tuesday council members, themselves, spoke emotionally about coming to a decision.

Councilman Obie Patterson (D-Dist. 8) of Fort Washington broke down in tears at one point, saying he wrestled with a vote that would allow him to “sleep at night.” Karen R. Toles (D-Dist. 7) of Suitland contended that the council would be vulnerable for a labor lawsuit if it failed to honor the raise agreement.

Council members said Baker’s threat that the pay raises would lead to massive layoffs in the Prince George’s County school system and police department swayed their decision to vote against the raises.

 Toles chastised her fellow council members, reminding them that voting down a union raise broke with tradition and likely will lead to a labor dispute in court.

“I’m appalled,” she said. “Never has there been in the last 30 years, a council that has voted down an AFSCME contract.”

 Patterson tearfully announced he would be voting against the raises.

“There is no easy way out—this is a tough vote,” he said. “I’m doing this out of my conviction.”

 Councilman Will A. Campos (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville said he couldn’t bring himself to vote in favor of the raises if it meant rolling layoffs in the county’s school system and police department.

 “It is unfair to this particular union that lobbied for this particular contract,” he said.  “That’s not to say that you don’t deserve these raises, [but] there will be hundreds of people who are laid off in the school system.  It’s really tough as a council member to work on raises for a group knowing that 500 to 1,000 people will be loosing their jobs.”

Councilwoman Leslie Johnson (D-Dist. 6) of Mitchellville said she voted for the right thing—in favor of the raises.

“Voting in favor of the contract is the right and just thing to do,” she said. “AFSCME negotiated this contract in good faith… I have voted to do the right thing and I will sleep well at night.” Johnson is married to Jack Johnson, the former county executive who negotiated the pay raises. Jack Johnson in federal court Tuesday in a payoff scandal in which Leslie Johnson is also charged. 

 AFSCME workers said they were hopeful that the vote would tilt and expressed outrage after being shut out. Union members said they are moving forward with a lawsuit.

“We’ve never had a contract voted down,” said John Hawkins, a union member who works in the Department of Public Works and Transportation. “It makes me sick to even live in this county—they got the money. They just want to play games.”

Bonus in the works

Still, in a letter to Baker--who attended Tuesday’s meeting--the council urged him to consider giving a one-time payment of $750 to union members to make up for furloughs in 2009 and 2010.

“We urge your administration to negotiate a one-time payment in a manner that will not add to the financial burden of the county,” said Council Chairwoman Ingrid Turner (D-Dist 4) of Bowie. “A one-time payment could ensure a clear message of support for county workers.”

Baker said he was open to negotiating the payment.

“I just want to thank the council for providing guidance to the administration on this critical issue,” he said. “I look forward to receiving the letter and working with all of our employees. We also share the responsibility of making sure our fiscal house is in sound order.”

Previous story

The Prince George’s County Council, during an emotional session in Upper Marlboro today, voted against union workers who were expecting a 2 percent raise from the county.

The council voted 5-3 against honoring an agreement to give raises to workers of the AFSCME union after County Executive Rushern L. Baker (D) recommended strongly against them. About 1,500 county workers are affected.

Local unions from AFSCME have pleaded with the council for weeks not to take back a 2010 agreement from indicted former executive Jack Johnson that gave union members a 2 percent cost of living raise that would have started in January.