28-04-2025
Workers' Memorial Day: Reflections and calls to action
Rayneika Robinson (center), president of AFSCME Local 3661, at a June 2024 rally after the death of Parole Agent Davis Martinez. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
Almost a year ago, I received news that no one ever wants to hear — that my colleague Parole and Probation Agent Davis Martinez had been killed during a home visit. He was the first agent to be killed in the line of duty in Maryland.
Brother Martinez was a beloved coworker, brother and son. He was an active member of his union, AFSCME Local 3661, which represents thousands of state employees who work in public safety and community corrections. For the last year, my fellow union members and I have been mourning his loss, and we are still deeply hurt and angry at the departmental and policy failures that led to this tragedy.
Sadly, Brother Martinez was not alone. In 2024, our union also lost Brother Ronald Silver II and Brother Timothy Cartwell. They were both sanitation workers for Baltimore City's Department of Public Works, and both died from preventable incidents while on the job.
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We know there are dangers that come with our professions, but the glaring truth is that for too long, Maryland's public employers have failed to make the health and safety of their employees a priority. Public sector workers in Maryland consistently face more than double the rates of occupational injuries and illnesses of their private sector counterparts, 5.4 cases compared to 2.3 cases per 100 full-time workers, respectively.
But for the first time, my fellow union members and I have some hope.
This year, our union was successful in passing the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act, sponsored by Sen. Ben Kramer (D-Montgomery) and Del. Jared Solomon (D-Montgomery). This legislation marks a critical turning point in our fight for safe and healthy workplaces.
For years, Maryland law has failed to hold public sector employers accountable for violating workplace safety standards. While private sector employers can face financial penalties, public sector employers are simply given a slap on the wrist, even though our safety is entrusted to them from the moment we clock in. The Davis Martinez Act changes that.
This important legislation will hold all public employers accountable for the safety of their workers and add in financial consequences for failing to protect employees. With the Davis Martinez Act, Maryland will now become only the third state in the nation — joining New York and California — to require a Workplace Violence Prevention standard that covers the entire public sector.
On this Workers' Memorial Day, a day where we remember those who have lost their lives or been injured or made sick on the job, I can't help but reflect on the lives that could have been saved had our public sector employers been proactive in creating and enforcing policies and procedures to keep us safe on the job.
In honor of the legacies of our fallen union brothers, it's up to us to make Maryland a state that truly values the lives, safety, and health of each and every worker. In honor of Brother Martinez, Brother Silver and Brother Cartwell, we expect every public sector employer to work collaboratively with us, the workers who keep Maryland running, to implement these key reforms in good faith, because everyone deserves to return home safely from work at the end of the day.
