Union representing over 45,000 public sector employees, including parole and probation agents, calls for passage of the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act (HB 176 / SB 26) in Maryland’s 447th Legislative Session
Annapolis, MD – On Monday, January 13, over 100 AFSCME Maryland Council 3 members, including members from AFSCME Local 3661 representing parole and probation agents across Maryland, joined together in a vigil to demand passage of the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act (HB 176 / SB 26).
“Whether it is assaults, threats of physical violence, degraded facilities and equipment, or insufficient staffing, public employees have time and time again been forced to put their lives, health, and well-being on the line,” said Patrick Moran, President of AFSCME Maryland Council 3.
This priority legislation comes after the horrific killing of Agent Davis Martinez during a regularly scheduled home visit on Friday, May 31, 2024. Agent Martinez is the first parole agent to be killed during the line of duty in Maryland.
The proposed legislation would direct Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) to develop a Workplace Violence Prevention Standard for the public sector and holds public employers accountable for their employees’ safety. The bill contains the following provisions:
- More dedicated resources for Maryland Occupational Safety & Health (MOSH) to focus on Public Employee Safety and Health
- Additional tools for MOSH to enforce public employee safety and health laws
- Additional transparency around health and safety incidents
- A directive for MOSH to develop a workplace violence standard for public employees
“Here in Maryland, state and local government workers experience injuries and illnesses at higher rates than the national rate for state and local government workers, and they also experience a higher rate of injury and illness than workers in private industry... This is unacceptable and all of us must act together to create the change that the workers of Maryland deserve,” said Senator Ben Kramer, sponsor of SB 26, who was also joined by Delegate Jared Solomon, sponsor of the House version of the bill (HB 176).
At the vigil, members of Agent Davis Martinez’s family were also in attendance.
“We stand with AFSCME and their recommendations for improvements to employee health and safety, not just for parole and probation agents, but to everyone in public service jobs. We stand with their recommendations for improved safety inspections and Workplace Violence standards. We stand with the call for full 3rd party investigations following a horrific incident involving a public service employee. We stand for transparency and accountability. Public service employees, their families, and Maryland deserve much better than what the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has “accomplished” in the past 8 months since Davis’s death,” said Gypsy Barrientos, Agent Martinez’s partner.
AFSCME Maryland continues to demand an independent investigation regarding his death as well as new safety policies, improved staffing, adequate training, and proper resources. A third legislative hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15 to hold the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) and its leadership accountable to safety improvements and policy changes following Martinez’s death.
“Over the past couple of years, our requests for partnership with management to solve these issues have at worst been ignored, and at best, have been addressed without the level of urgency that these issues demand. It was only through scrutiny from the legislature on the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services that management began to be more responsive to the needs of our members, and yet, more work remains to be done. Enough is enough,” said Rayneika Robinson, President of AFSCME Local 3661 representing state employees who work in the Division of Parole and Probation.
A number of other labor unions, including the Baltimore Teachers Union, ATU Local 1300, the IAFF-Local 1742, MCGEO, MSEA, and SEIU Local 500, have joined the coalition to support the passage of the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act.
Senator Shelly Hettleman and Delegate Julie Palakovich Carr, who are championing the Maryland Fair Share Plan this year, ended the event by calling for a plan to build the state revenue needed to safely staff and resource state services.
“We must seize this opportunity to re-commit ourselves to our families, communities, and those who serve to make all of our public services possible. We have the opportunity to enact meaningful change to our revenue structure and ensure that those among us who have the most and the largest corporations, are paying their fair share and contributing for the essential public services that everyone benefits from,” said Senator Hettleman.
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About AFSCME Maryland Council 3
AFSCME Maryland Council 3 represents nearly 45,000 public service workers at the local, city, county, state, and higher education levels who provide the valuable public services that our communities rely on. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, we make Maryland happen.
