Latest news with #BaltimoreCityCouncil
CBS News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pay increases, worker safety top issues for Baltimore DPW workers after two deaths on the job
Several members of the Baltimore City Council and union leaders remembered two workers who died on the job in 2024 and vowed to improve safety and increase wages. Baltimore sanitation workers have long complained of low pay and unsafe working conditions. "We've had huge challenges with worker safety at DPW. We know that we've had workers die at DPW. We've had over 1,600 injuries in five years in the sanitation department at DPW," Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen said. DPW workers voice union concerns Conditions became so bad, some workers did not even have access to toilet paper or proper bathroom facilities. ore CBS News Baltimore The unions have come under fire from some workers who claimed they were out of touch. Several who spoke to the inspector general criticized AFSCME, saying their "presence has been non-existent, and the union has not advocated for the workers in the last few years. One worker opined that Local 44 is absent until something drastic happens, like when a worker dies…" "They're lying to you all. We are tired of them. That's why we're here," said Stancil McNair, at a heated city council legislative oversight hearing on March 20. "More of us came to this hearing than we do to a union meeting. That's sad. And they're still playing games. Still playing games." WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren asked the unions about these concerns. "Our goal is to protect all of you," said Antoinette Ryan-Johnson, President of City Union of Baltimore, which represents DPW supervisors. "If that means that I need to take the bow, I will do so, but we need you to be our eyes and ears." Two DPW deaths raise alarm After the deaths of Baltimore DPW employees Ronald Silver II and Timothy Cartwell in 2024, union leaders said Monday they will follow through on their promises to keep workers safe. "Today, we mourn the dead, but mourning is not enough. We fight for the living—for every worker who has been ever told to suck it up instead of speak up," said Courtney Jenkins, the president of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council of AFL-CIO unions. The city has not provided substantive updates in months on the death of Cartwell. He was crushed by a trash truck. Silver died after repeatedly begging for help in the extreme heat. "He was not replaceable," Faith Johnson, Silver's mother, said last month, her voice breaking. "He was not replaceable to us. I'm still trying to figure out how life looks without him." New safeguards are already in place statewide. The city is also implementing new heat standards. "This summer, Maryland will be only one of six states in the country that offers these protections" said Scott Schneider, the former director of occupational safety for the Laborers International Union. "It came too late for Ronald Silver, but we hope that as we remember him today on Workers' Memorial Day, his death helped prevent others from having to suffer or die of heat exposures." Fighting for pay raises Right now, union leaders and the city are negotiating pay raises. The average sanitation worker earns just 15 cents an hour in hazard pay and a little more than $42,000 annually, which many said is not enough to feed their families. Right now, union leaders and the city are negotiating pay raises. CBS News Baltimore "It is the expectation of this city council that those workers will get a raise, and it will be a meaningful raise," Cohen said. Last week, the city council president joined sanitation workers on the job. Several members of the Baltimore City Council and union leaders remembered two workers who died on the job in 2024 and vowed to improve safety and increase wages. CBS News Baltimore "It is hard work. It is backbreaking work, and they deserve more," Cohen said. The negotiations are private, and union leaders declined to comment on specific progress Monday, but Cohen noted the DPW director has committed to providing a pay increase. Just weeks ago, Baltimore City signed new contracts with top leaders, with several earning more than $250,000 a year.
CBS News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland leaders to honor those who died on the job during Workers' Memorial Day ceremony
Maryland leaders will hold a Workers' Memorial Day ceremony Monday to honor people who have died on the job or those who have suffered work-related injuries. During the ceremony at Baltimore City Hall, leaders and workers will call for job safety protections and the freedom to join unions. Attendees are also expected to talk about the weakening of job safety agencies facilitated by the Trump administration. According to organizers, the administration's actions are putting workers in danger by undermining safety standards and enforcement. After the ceremony, the Baltimore City Council will introduce a resolution recognizing April 28 as Workers Memorial Day. Trump administration's federal staffing cuts endanger workers According to union leaders and state officials, progress toward job safety is at risk due to President Trump's ongoing cuts to federal staffing and funding. Through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the president has facilitated wide-reaching cuts to federal funding and staffing with the goal of lowering spending. The task force has directed government agencies to implement layoffs, prompting some state and county leaders to provide additional resources for workers who lost their jobs. According to union leaders and workers, the Trump administration's effort to defund or eliminate staff from federal job safety agencies would have a negative impact on working people. "Efforts to fire federal workers means we will have fewer job safety inspectors to ensure corporations follow the law," event organizers said in a statement. "Efforts to undermine independent federal agencies erode workers' only safeguard against employers who endanger them or retaliate for reporting unsafe working conditions." According to event organizers, data shows that 5,283 workers were killed on the job and 2.6 million cases of workplace illness or injury were reported across the U.S. in 2023. "Under the Trump administration, new anti-worker attacks threaten to increase those numbers," leaders said. Workers killed on the job in Maryland There were 59 workplace fatalities reported in Maryland in 2020, according to the Maryland Department of Labor. The number of work-related deaths declined from 78 in 2019. According to 2020 data, the occupations with the highest number of workplace deaths were transportation and material moving. In August 2024, a Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) employee died while on the job. Ronald Silver II died from heat exhaustion while working. His death sparked investigations and led DPW to be cited with a serious violation for failing to protect employees from dangerous heat. The investigations by the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Agency (MOSH) and Baltimore City's Inspector General both identified red flags, including bad working conditions, lack of training and a culture of fear. In November 2024, the agency faced scrutiny again after a waste collector was trapped by a trash truck and died. Timothy Cartwell's death sparked renewed calls for change at DPW. Following the investigations into Silver's death, DPW's director promised changes in safety measures and workplace culture.
CBS News
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Baltimore Gas and Electric CEO to leave role for leadership position at parent company Excelon
Carim Khouzami, CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric, will leave his position to take a leadership position at Excelon, BGE's parent company. The leadership changes come amid ongoing criticisms of the company. In recent months, Maryland leaders and ratepayers have called for a resolution to rising energy costs. Many BGE customers reported major increases in their energy bills, with some residents noting that their bills had doubled compared to the previous year. BGE stated that the increases stem from the need to improve aging infrastructure, increases in energy use—particularly due to cold weather, and the rising cost for the Empower Maryland efficiency releases report detailing fraudulent inspections On Tuesday, the Maryland Public Service Commission released a report alleging that a former BGE employee did not conduct proper inspections of gas infrastructure work and submitted falsified records over four years. According to the PSC report, BGE did not provide a list of jobs affected by the falsified inspections nor performed targeted remediation or verification work on the pipeline segments in question. On Wednesday, Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen responded by calling for an oversight hearing , emphasizing concerns about resident safety and BGE's accountability. "We are extremely concerned about the way our residents have been treated in the city of Baltimore," Cohen said Wednesday. "You can't sit there and tell me and the Baltimore City Council that your top priority is safety when we then hear you have an inspector who is not doing their job." Cohen has been vocal in advocating for reduced energy costs. Last month, he joined other city council members in calling for a halt to BGE's planned 2026 rate increase . Earlier this month, lawmakers passed the Next Generation Energy Act , a bill aimed at reducing utility costs statewide. This legislation mandates specific spending on gas pipelines and directs the Public Service Commission to halt plans for multi-year rate increases that do not benefit customers. Furthermore, it prohibits utilities from charging ratepayers for certain expenses, including trade association memberships and private planes. "Yesterday, members of the City Council sent a letter to BGE demanding answers about safety concerns," Cohen said in a statement Thursday. "Today, we learned that BGE's CEO Carim Khouzami will be leaving the utility for a role at Exelon. The Council's focus remains the same: we need real rate relief for our residents."
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Baltimore City, County residents share thoughts on energy costs, crime, local services in UMBC poll
Baltimore City and County residents shared their thoughts on quality of life issues, government services and local amenities in a recent UMBC poll. The poll surveyed 642 adults in Baltimore City and 628 adults in Baltimore County between April 1 and April 6. About 82% of Baltimore City residents and 79% of Baltimore County residents considered the cost of household energy bills as a major issue in their communities, the survey found. Recently, Maryland lawmakers and local leaders have taken action to address the rise in energy costs. In February, the Baltimore City Council called on the Public Service Commission to stop Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)'s rate hikes planned for 2026. During the 2025 legislative session, Maryland lawmakers introduced several bills to address rising utility costs. The Ratepayer Protection Act would require energy companies to lower spending on pipelines, and the Climate Solutions Affordability Act would allow climate requirements to only be carried out if they are affordable. Neither bill passed. Crime and public safety were major issues for 83% of Baltimore City residents compared to 68% of Baltimore County residents, according to the poll. Despite the majority of city residents considering crime a concern, violent crime has dropped in the city so far this year. As of April 1, homicides are down 22% and non-fatal shootings are down 28% compared to 2024, Baltimore City data shows. According to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott , violent crime is down 20% and robberies are down 22%. The mayor credits the city's violence prevention plan for the drop in crime rates. The poll also questioned city and county residents on their satisfaction with local government services like K-12 schools, emergency services and infrastructure maintenance. About 23% of city residents and 36% of county residents were satisfied with K-12 schools. Nearly 58% of city residents and 77% of county residents were satisfied with the responsiveness of emergency services, according to the survey. The survey found that a low number of residents were satisfied with the maintenance of local infrastructure, streets and public spaces, with 24% of city residents and 49% of county residents reporting their satisfaction. Residents were also less than satisfied with policing and the criminal justice system. About 33% of city residents and 57% of county residents were satisfied with public safety in their communities. 29% of city residents reported they were satisfied with the criminal justice system, while 38% of county residents reported their satisfaction. The survey found that many Baltimore City and county residents had a positive outlook on local amenities, including sports venues, outdoor spaces and animal shelters. The survey found that 67% of city residents and 55% of county residents rated local sports venues as good or excellent. 68% of city residents rated arts and music venues highly compared to 44% of county residents. About 63% of Baltimore County residents rated local parks and outdoor spaces highly, compared to 48% of city residents. In both the city and county, 40% of residents believed local animal shelters were excellent or good.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Baltimore Mayor's new chief of staff faced discrimination complaint, home lien in 2024
BALTIMORE — A complaint alleging racial discrimination and a home lien for unpaid water/sewer bills are among the list of controversies surrounding Calvin Young, who Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott promoted this week to become his next chief of staff with a 79% salary increase. Young, who worked as treasurer on Scott's 2024 primary campaign and became a senior advisor to the mayor last fall, has served in various public roles — including as chairman of the East Baltimore Development Inc.'s board of directors. Andy Freeman, EBDI's former vice president of real estate development, lit into Young at a Baltimore City Council hearing in October 2024. Freeman, who is white, told the council he was fired directly because of discrimination by Young, who is Black. '[I was fired] as a result of a blatant racial discrimination and a violation of my First Amendment rights by none other than EBDI's board chair, Calvin Young, and Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott,' Freeman said at the hearing. Freeman's attorney, Baltimore civil rights lawyer Tonya Baña, filed a formal complaint with the Maryland Equal Employment Opportunity Commission days before her client publicly alleged racial discrimination. Filing a complaint is the first step before suing in court. At the time, Baña said she was 'concerned' about Young's hiring as a senior advisor to the mayor. She did not respond by deadline to The Baltimore Sun's recent request for an interview to discuss the case further. A request to contact Baña via email prompted an out-of-office reply. The $1,783.81 home lien was filed against Young's Residences at Roland Heights property in March 2024. The sum of the lien 'represents water and sewer facilities charges which are unpaid and delinquent and permitted charges,' according to public documents. As of October 2024, land records did not show if the lien had been satisfied. Neither Young nor Scott's office responded to The Sun's requests for an interview and to clarify the status of any proceedings against Young, respectively. Young, who ran for mayor himself in 2016, has a long history with Scott. The two men attended Mergenthaler 'Mervo' Vocational-Technical High School together in the early 2000s. -------------
