AFSCME Public Safety

06/08/2026

Sign the petition supporting corrections officers in Bernalillo County New Mexico! Last month, members of Local 2499 voted unanimously for no confidence in Warden Kai Smith because of dangerous policy changes that cut corners and has led to an increase in unacceptable violence and death. Local 2499 has repeatedly raised the alarm to address the deteriorating conditions, staffing and safety concerns to both officers and inmates, but has received an ongoing lack of response that demonstrates a significant absence of leadership and accountability. Help us tell the Bernalillo County Commission to replace Warden Smith with someone who will work with those on the front lines to improve these inmate and staff safety issues at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (BCMDC.)

AFSCME New Mexico members of Local 2499, Bernalillo County Corrections Officer Association are ringing the alarm on workplace issues affecting safety and staff morale at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (BCMDC.) A vote of no confidence in Warden Kai Smith was passed with unanimous...

06/03/2026

Members of AFSCME Local 543 (Council 13) at Lehigh County Jail secured a major victory in early May with the implementation of paid parental leave for county employees. It’s a big change that will help improve recruitment, retention and workplace morale in a correctional system facing ongoing staffing shortages.

https://afscmepublicsafety.org/news/afscme-members-who-keep-pa-jail-running-mobilize-paid-parental-leave

05/30/2026

Members of AFSCME Local 543 at Lehigh County Prison secured a major victory with the implementation of paid parental leave for county employees — a change that will help improve recruitment, retention, and workplace morale in a correctional system facing ongoing staffing shortages.

05/28/2026

05/27/2026

For four members of Local 260 Shands EMS Flight & Ground Services (AFSCME Florida), their first union contract helped them get the compensation they earned over years of missed meal breaks. https://afscmepublicsafety.org/news/flight-paramedics-land-big-grievance-victory

05/26/2026

On Memorial Day, we salute those who risked their lives to serve our country and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you for your service.

05/26/2026

The staffing crisis inside the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has gone far beyond a workforce issue. This is not the fault of wardens, administrators, supervisors, or correctional officers. This is the result of years of policy failures that severely limited hiring and retention — and now Maryland is facing the consequences.
What we are seeing today is a growing public safety emergency affecting correctional officers, inmates, and communities across Maryland.
Reports from AFSCME Maryland Council 3 and multiple Maryland news outlets describe chronic understaffing, mandatory overtime, collapsing posts, officer burnout, assaults on staff, and increasingly unsafe prison conditions. Officers have reported being forced into 16-hour shifts, 80-hour workweeks, and repeated emergency drafts simply because there are not enough employees to safely operate facilities.
Union leaders say Maryland needs more than 3,400 additional correctional officers statewide just to reach safer staffing levels. Officers working inside facilities such as Jessup, Eastern Correctional Institution, and Western Maryland institutions have warned that reduced staffing means less coverage, less oversight, and increased violence and instability inside prisons.
The crisis is also financial. Maryland has reportedly spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on overtime tied largely to staffing shortages, while many officers argue their wages still do not reflect the dangerous realities of the profession.
Correctional officers deserve:
• Significant pay raises that match the risks and demands of the job
• Safer staffing ratios inside every Maryland facility
• Protection from excessive forced overtime
• Improved recruitment and retention incentives
• Better mental health and family support resources
• Modernized facilities and stronger workplace protections
In Allegany County and across Western Maryland, officers at facilities like North Branch Correctional Institution work in some of the toughest correctional environments in the state. These employees are not asking for luxury — they are asking for safety, fairness, and enough staffing to do their jobs without risking exhaustion or serious injury.
Maryland cannot continue expecting correctional officers to carry the burden of a broken staffing system. Supporting these officers with competitive wages and safe working conditions is essential to restoring stability inside the state’s correctional system.
By Allegany County News & Events

05/22/2026

The Union Plus® Mortgage Program, with financing from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, has benefits specifically designed for union families. Explore your benefits today! Equal Housing Lender. https://bit.ly/4nG8nQR

05/21/2026

Congratulations to Officer Couto on being named Officer of the Year by the Madison Exchange Club.

Officer Couto’s dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the Madison community are truly appreciated. We are proud to have him as a member of the Madison Police Department and thank the Madison Exchange Club for recognizing his outstanding service.

Pictured from left to right: Captain Harkins, Officer Couto, and Madison Exchange Club Chairman Pam McKinnon.

05/21/2026

Across the country, public safety professionals, including corrections officers and 911 dispatchers, are working short-staffed and missing important family milestones to work overtime, all while being asked to risk more with less backup.

AFSCME members know the answer is not silence. It’s organizing. It’s building power on the job. And it’s fighting for the staffing, resources, and respect public safety workers need to keep communities safe.