Maryland workers decry pay rates | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees held a rally March 10 in Annapolis criticizing how the starting pay of state employees is 7 percent below competing employers. The findings were from a study commissioned by the state Department of Budget and Management that compared Maryland salaries with 16 surrounding state, county and city jurisdictions. Data from federal jobs also was used.

Essentially, state workers are getting paid 93 cents on the dollar, said Patrick Moran, the Maryland director for AFSCME.

Earl Tindle, a 57-year-old heavy equipment maintenance union worker from Glen Burnie employed at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, said low pay causes the state to hire less experienced workers.

"If you make a mistake (on the machines), it costs thousands of dollars to repair," Mr. Tindle said. "I can't replace the people that retire off with the knowledge they have."

Once a new employee is trained - and after the state pays for his or her commercial driver's license - the worker moves on to a better job, he said.

Mr. O'Malley has proposed $180.2 million in salary bumps for state employees next year, according to the state's Department of Legislative Services. That number includes a 2 percent across-the-board, cost-of-living increase for state employees, merit increases and salary reviews. An average state employee, who makes more than $46,000 a year, would see a 4.3 percent salary increase in fiscal 2009 if the employee gets a cost-of-living and merit increase, according to DLS.