Hogan announces contract agreement with 1,500 state health care workers

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday that a contract deal has been reached with about 1,500 state health care workers.

The agreement with the American Federation of Teachers-Healthcare Maryland will grant the members of that union a 3 percent cost of living increase on July 1, followed by another 1 percent increase in 2020 — contingent upon state revenues exceeding projections by $75 million.

Some of the employees, including addiction counselors, epidemiologists, mental health counselors and nurses, will receive an additional 6 percent increase “to assist with state recruitment and retention efforts,” according to the governor’s office.

The increases are on top of previously-negotiated increases of 2 percent in January and a half-percent plus $500 bonus in April.

Read more: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-health-union-agreement-20181221-story.html