Dozens of Baltimore City Community College faculty packed the Liberty Heights campus on Wednesday, calling out what they describe as a stalled contract fight, unfair pay, and campus staffing problems that keep blindsiding students. The crowd, which included many members of AFSCME Local 1870, demanded real raises and faster, clearer communication from college leadership on course staffing and basic student supports. The rally marked the latest step in a months long push by campus employees to get the college to bring concrete wage proposals to the bargaining table.
Union Leaders Say Bargaining Has Stalled Out
AFSCME Local 1870 President Nena Kutniewski told faculty and supporters that negotiators have been at it “for more than two years” and still “have not received a fair wage counter from the college,” according to WBAL NewsRadio. She and other union leaders argued that any new contract has to “reflect the value of their work” and put an end to recurring delays in pay and staffing decisions that leave both employees and students scrambling.
Professors Say Students Are Getting Caught In The Middle
Faculty at the rally pointed to a growing list of student disruptions they link to staffing shortages, including cancelled classes and cut back hours for key services on campus. “It is unacceptable, and it makes my heart break,” said Dr. Laura Pope, who ticked off problems such as classes left without instructors, surprise bookstore charges, shaky campus internet and shortened library hours, per WBAL NewsRadio. Protesters said those gaps are undermining retention and slowing student progress toward graduation.
Labor Board Ruling Turns Up The Heat
The midweek demonstration came on the heels of a ruling from Maryland’s Public Employee Relations Board that found BCCC failed to bargain in good faith over wages and ordered the college to negotiate and post notices about its legal obligations, according to the state labor board’s case listing. The decision flagged a significant gap between the union’s wage proposals and the college’s responses at the table, a point union leaders repeatedly underscored during Wednesday’s rally.
Union History And Campus Impact
Faculty organizing at BCCC has been unfolding for many months, with marches, rallies and bargaining pushes stretching into 2025 as instructors pressed for on time pay and more staffing support, according to WYPR. AFSCME Local 1870 has also leaned on college leadership through public meetings and petitions, citing persistent vacancies and service gaps across the campus, per AFSCME Maryland Council 3.
What Comes Next
Union leaders say they plan to keep rallying and organizing while pushing hard for a specific wage counter and enforceable staffing language in a new contract. BCCC President Debra L. McCurdy has previously said the college “remains fully committed to a fair, transparent, and collaborative workplace,” according to The Baltimore Banner. Now both sides are under a PERB-ordered process to show progress at the bargaining table, with faculty insisting they are prepared to keep the pressure on until a deal is reached.
