1974 Baltimore municipal strike

Strikes and protests by public workers Baltimore municipal strike of 1974 Baltimore, Maryland, United States June 30, 1974 – July 14, 1974 wages Strikes, Protest, Demonstrations AFSCME City of Baltimore Jerome Wurf William Donald Schaefer Deaths: Injuries: Arrests: 5+ Deaths: Injuries: Arrests, etc 1,350 protesters 100+ Baltimore police supervisors The 1974 Baltimore municipal strike was a strike action undertaken by different groups of municipal workers in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It was initiated by waste collectors seeking higher wages and better conditions. They were joined by sewer workers, zookeepers, prison guards, highway workers, recreation & parks workers, animal control workers, abandoned vehicles workers, and eventually by police officers. Trash piled up during the strike, and, especially with diminished police enforcement, many trash piles were set on fire. City jails were also a major site for unrest. The Baltimore strike was prominent within a wave of public sector strikes across the United States.Cook Louise Workers' unrest interrupts municipal service https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Fj9SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q3kDAAAAIBAJ&dq=baltimore%20police%20union&pg=7267%2C4132270 5 August 2012 St. Petersburg Times 15 July 1974 Associated Press 4–A Labor unrest in scattered areas of the country is affecting a wide range of services—some of them vital. The most serious problems are in Baltimore, where police walked out Thursday night, joining 3,000 other city workers on picket lines, and in Ohio, where almost 2,000 prison guards and blue-collar state employees are on strike.US flooded by great wave of strikes https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D4gxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=waEFAAAAIBAJ&dq=strike%20and%20sanitation%20%7C%20garbage%20%7C%20trash&pg=6449%2C356465 5 August 2012 Montreal Gazette 17 July 1974 Associated Press 13 The labor disputes constituted the biggest wave of strikes since the days after Second World War when millions of veterans moved back into the labor market. All of the striking workers were members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a relatively radical and expanding national union. AFSCME President Jerry Wurf attained national notoriety for allegedly urging workers to "let Baltimore burn" if their demands were not met.'Public' Unions https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oGAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qVoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6952%2C1064810 16 September 2012 Victoria Advocate 5 August 1978 4AToledano Ralph Let Our Cities Burn III: The police were shouting 'scab' https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=S78dAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yUYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4787%2C5085492 16 September 2012 Daily News 26 October 1975 18 Background In the 1960s, a combination of civil rights struggles, white flight, and the loss of manufacturing jobs led Baltimore's African American population to gain an increasing share of the city's public sector jobs. However, many of these jobs did not pay a living wage, and the workers were not allowed to unionize until after the turbulent events of spring 1968 (see Memphis sanitation strike and Baltimore riot of 1968).Berger Jane 'There is tragedy on both sides of the layoffs:' Privatization and the Urban Crisis in Baltimore International Labor and Working-Class History Spring 2007 71 1 29–49 10.1017/S0147547907000324 155001514 The city itself, losing many tax-paying residents to the suburbs, was already suffering from budget shortfalls and beginning to shift toward privatization of services. The 1971 election of Mayor William Donald Schaefer consolidated this trend and signaled the erosion of what small gains in black control had already been won. The 1960s and early 1970s saw radicalization among public sector workers across the United States. In many cities, following a pattern similar to Baltimore's, these workers became politicized and began to demand collective bargaining rights. Many joined AFSCME, under the new leadership of Jerome Wurf.Serrin William A Leader for the Little Guy https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/12/books/a-leader-for-the-little-guy.html?pagewanted=all 4 August 2012 The New York Times 12 September 1982 Blue-collar city employees were paid about $3.00 an hour, with the prospect of a 20 cent raise in the 1975 budget. Workers also complained about a strict policy on absences, according to which a worker could be fired after missing eight days. 1974 had already seen a strike from sanitation workers in nearby Baltimore County.County garbage collectors vote to stop work Baltimore Sun 28 February 1974 C20 Claiming that they are losing money during the energy crisis, Baltimore county's residential garbage collectors voted last night to shut down operations, beginning today. 539056352Kimelman Donald Donald Kimelman County trash collectors settle after 1-day strike Baltimore Sun 1 March 1974 A1, A10 Ending a one-day shutdown, Baltimore county's independent garbage collectors voted unanimously last night to go back to work this morning. 538980110 And a February teachers' strike had made striking seem like a real possibility.Richards Bill Teachers Strike Tense in Baltimore The Washington Post 22 February 1974 Ernest Crofoot, director of the municipal employees union, which includes sanitation workers, jail guards and non-professional hospital and school workers, said that if the offer was not acceptable the members of his union may also walk off their jobs. 146199245 Tension rose when the city offered a new contract in June 1974. A snowballing strike On Sunday, June 30, 700 workers voted to accept the city's planned raise at a union meeting. On Monday, July 1, 1974, about 1000 sanitation workers, unsatisfied with the contract, walked off their jobs. The strikers demanded raises of 50 cents instead of 20 cents (from $3.00 an hour to $3.50 an hour), and a new policy on absences.Baltimore Employes to Push Strike https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0nggAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iWcFAAAAIBAJ&dq=strike%20and%20sanitation%20garbage%20trash&pg=1848%2C1040496 5 August 2012 Lewiston Daily Sun 8 July 1974 Associated Press "Other striking workers are asking for a 50 cent increase in the hourly wage rate to $3.50. The city is offering a 20 cents an hour hike to $3.20. The strikers also seek an end to a controversial system to reduce unauthorized job absences. They were soon joined by some sewer workers and by 200 highway workers.City granted injunction in trash strike Baltimore Sun 3 July 1974 A1, A9 538933797 On July 3, highway workers voted unanimously to join the strike, bringing their contribution to 600 and the total number of striking workers to nearly 2,500.Cramer Richard Ben City asks fines for garbage union leaders Baltimore Sun 4 July 1974 A1 538942736 On July 9 the strikers were joined by 350 guards from the Baltimore City Jail, who walked off their jobs at 7AM, leaving control to 25 high-ranking officers.Jail employes join strike in Baltimore https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tphIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qHkDAAAAIBAJ&dq=baltimore%20guards%20jail%20%7C%20prison%20arrest&pg=6057%2C2684781 5 August 2012 St. Petersberg Times 9 July 1974 Fred Barbash Charles A. Krause Washington Post Service 4–A The latest group to join the striker were 350 guards at the city jail. They abandoned their posts at 7 a.m. Monday, leaving control of 1,500 inmates at the jail to about 25 guards who are sergeants and higher-ranking officers. At this point the strikers numbered 3,000. Strike activities Striking workers set up picket lines at city dumps and sewer yards. As more workers joined the strike picket lines were established at other workplaces, including the city jail and the zoo. Not all work during the strike was completely stopped. Striking zookeepers continued to feed their animals, even as they refused to clean up the resulting fecal matter. Slogans included "No cash, no trash". Strikers held signs reading "I Am Somebody" and "I Am a Man," reminiscent of the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike.Baltimore Strike Is Symbolic of Strong Union Growth The Washington Post 10 July 1974 Fred Barbash Charles A. Krause C1, C3 146150707 At the War Memorial Plaza demonstration, the crowd chanted "They say landfill, we say no: City Hall's where garbage goes." Police strike Baltimore police strike Baltimore police also disputed the new contract, and, encouraged by the other striking workers, they began "job actions" on July 7. These included the writing of detailed reports of miscellaneous objects on the street, as well as an unusually high number of traffic stops.A Second Injunction Is Issued a As Baltimore Strikes Continue The New York Times 10 July 1974 15 120103361 On July 11, Police Local 1195 (also affiliated with AFSCME) voted to strike, and most officers on the night shift walked off.Watson Douglas Baltimore Police Walk Off Job The Washington Post 12 July 1974 A1, A3 Some police officers from all nine of the city's districts walked off their jobs last night in response to their union's call for a citywide strike. By early this morning there had been 300 to 400 fires in trash bins and abandoned buildings throughout the city and scattered looting of shops and stores including liquor, jewelry and furniture stores, carry-outs and laundries. Most of the looting was confined to high-crime, poor areas on the fringes of downtown and on the city's west side. 146143255 The walkout added urgency to the strike and the magnified national attention directed towards it. Prison disturbances After the prison guards went on strike, inmates were left with little supervision. They were confined to their cells for long stretches of time and all criminal trials were postponed. A council of 16 inmates argued that their right to due process was being violated. They accused the striking guards of wishing to provoke mayhem (to demonstrate the chaos that would occur in their absence). Finally, the council asked for certain supervisors to be kept away from prisoners, and demanded self-governance for inmates.Cramer Richard Ben Strike talks lapse as city obtains new injunction Baltimore Sun 10 July 1974 Security in the jail was loosened up a bit yesterday, with prisoners who had been in their cells for 38 hours straight receiving recreation and exercise periods, more or less without supervision. 538904469 On July 13, three or four replacement supervisors were taken hostage in a roomful of juvenile inmates demanding their freedom.Baltimore Police Ruled in Contempt The Washington Post 14 July 1974 A1, B1 The juveniles, armed with makeshift weapons, held the four nonstriking guards prisoner for less than an hour. One of the hostages, Sgt. William Britton, said the young prisoners who seized the four guards said they wanted their freedom. 146166864 Nonstriking policeman intervened with dogs and nightsticks, apparently rejecting an offer of assistance from the striking guards.Baltimore Jail Stormed The New York Times 14 July 1974 Associated Press City jail inmates took three hostages tonight while striking guards picketed outside, but the police stormed into the building and returned the inmates to their cells. No shots were fired and no serious injuries were reported. 120096321 Police said that adult inmates helped end the uprising. Two guards and two inmates were injured. (When the guards ended their strike, they were met with another prison uprising, which was suppressed with tear gas and riot gear.)Head of Police in Baltimore Continues Reprisal Campaign The Washington Post 14 July 1974 Charles A. Krause Fred Barbash B7 In another strike-related incident, 150 inmates at the Baltimore city jail refused to enter their cells Wednesday night in protest against the return of jail guards who had left their post last week to join the city's general strike. The inmates wielded mops and brooms but were finally subdued when 40 guards used tear gas and riot equipment to restore order. 146158759 Other incidents Nine sanitation workers were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct on July 7 when they stood in the way of a bulldozer sent to move trash. On July 10, 60 supporters of the strike held a demonstration in War Memorial Plaza outside of city hall. After several people had spoken to the group, demonstrators began to disperse trash from bags they had brought. They soon met with twelve club-wielding police officers. Eleven demonstrators and The Baltimore Sun photographer Irving H. Phillips, Jr., were arrested on littering charges.Cramer Richard Ben Trash-strike supporters, police clash https://www.proquest.com/docview/538983432/ 6 August 2012 Baltimore Sun 11 July 1974 A1, A10 Sixteen jail guards and a union organizer were arrested (also on July 10) for preventing supervisors from entering the jail.Baltimore police fight protestors https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YuFNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6965%2C1298050 6 August 2012 Free Lance-Star 11 July 1974 Associated Press 3 Police said sixteen jail guards and one union representative walking a picket line outside the city jail were arrested this morning for blocking supervisory personnel entering the driveway. All 17 were charged with obstruction of free passage. There were increased reports of fires during the strike, especially during the last few days when the police were also on strike. Before the police strike, reports of trash fires were somewhat localized to Cherry Hill. Arson was the major reported crime throughout, with a wave of looting directly after the police walkout.State Police Ordered to Baltimore The Washington Post 13 July 1974 A1, A12 Earlier today Fire Chief Thomas S. Burke said that fire alarms increased '300 per cent' in recent days, adding up to 525 fire alarms Thursday. 146141671 These troops were outfitted with riot weapons but wore soft hats instead of helmets. Government response Mayor Schaefer Mayor Schaefer immediately threatened to fire all of the striking workers and hire new others, saying "there's just no more money. No way."Mayor warns strikers: Trash, sewer workers face loss of jobs Baltimore Sun 2 July 1974 A1, A8 Mayor Schaefer raised the specter of mass firings in the Sanitation Division yesterday as about 700 garbage workers and a sprinkling of sewer workers walked off their jobs in a wildcat strike. 538951534 He promised to break the strike quickly and announced the opening of dumps to the public. After about a week, Schaefer mobilized 350 of the city's white-collar workers as strikebreakers to pick up trash. These workers ("Schaefer's Raiders" ) were paid time-and-half for overtime, based on their typically higher salaries. They used small dumping areas that were changed daily so as to avoid the strikers. Circuit Court Judicial proceedings surrounding the strike took place mostly in the Mitchell Courthouse downtown. The Court dealt with three AFSCME leaders: Ray Clarke, president of Local 44; Ernest Crofoot, director of the regional Council 67; and P.J. Ciampa, a field director from the (inter)national union who had organized (and been maced) during the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike.Honey Michael K. Going down Jericho Road the Memphis strike, Martin Luther King's last campaign 2007 Norton New York 978-0-393-04339-6 1 Baptism by Fire 203–204 Ciampa describes what happened next: 'The mace hits me in the face, and I start heading for the curb and I stumble, and grovel, and then I feel awful. I feel this stuff all over me. You can't breathe, you can't see... registration https://archive.org/details/goingdownjericho00hone https://archive.org/details/goingdownjericho00hone/page/203 On the night of Tuesday, July 2, Circuit Judge James W. Murphy declared the strike illegal and issued an injunction against the garbage collectors. On Saturday July 6, Murphy fined Local 44 $15,000 for every day the strike continued after Monday July 8.Cramer Richard Ben Local found in contempt: Judge refuses to cite 3 union leaders Baltimore Sun 7 July 1974 A1, A13 A Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that the union representing 2,500 striking city laborers is in contempt of a Tuesday injunction against the strike, and fined the union $15,000 a day beginning tomorrow at 5 P.M. 538929031 On Tuesday the 9th he issued another injunction against other departments newly on strike. On July 10, Judge Murphy announced that he was prepared to enforce the $15,000 immediately and each following afternoon. Murphy was then informed that Local 44 had only $6000, which he then confiscated. On Friday, July 12, Murphy froze the union's assets (around $5000) and threatened to increase the fines against the union and its leaders unless the workers returned to their jobs. He also threatened to jail the three union leaders if the strike did not end, giving Monday, July 15 as the deadline.Erlandson Robert A. Police, trash talks resume with Mayor: Union chiefs face jail Baltimore Sun 13 July 1974 A1, A9 The three leaders of Baltimore's striking garbage collectors and other city employees have until 10 A.M. Monday to call off the 12-day-old strike or go to jail. 538944751Baltimore strike brings state cops Chicago Tribune 13 July 1974 UPI C11 171164532 Union involvement The municipal strike started out as a wildcat action, in protest of a contract that the union had just accepted. However, unions soon claimed credit and responsibility, and it was ultimately union negotiators who ended the strike. AFSCME AFSCME Local 44 initially asked the strikers to return to work. By the morning of Tuesday, July 2, AFSCME leadership on all levels had endorsed the strike.Schatzman Dennis Strikers may 'go for broke' today: Police also issue warning https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2-VfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PAMGAAAAIBAJ&dq=judge%20james%20murphy%20police%20strike&pg=1636%2C11125 5 August 2012 Baltimore Afro-American 6 July 1974 A-1, A-2 Bending under pressure from the irate workers, mostly black, the union, from the local, state and international level, sanctioned a full scale strike Tuesday morning. Many workers were upset that the union had backed the city's contract, and hung an effigy of Local 44's president, Raymond H. Clark.Taylor Stuart S. Mayor sees no quick end to strike Baltimore Sun 5 July 1974 A1 The strike started despite the union leaders initial support of the city's 6 per cent raise offer. One group of sanitation workers complaining of a 'sell out' Monday hung in effigy Raymond H. Clark, president of Local 44, which represents 11,000 city blue-collar workers. Mr. Crofoot was urging the members to return to work as recently as Tuesday. 539005620 On July 5, President Wurf, Secretary-Treasurer Bill Lucy, and two other officials from the union were arrested for blocking cars from entering landfills.Cramer Richard Ben Court action delayed as trash grows Baltimore Sun 6 July 1974 A1 Charged with failure to obey a policeman's lawful orders were Jerry Wurf, the international president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFL–CIO); William Lucy, the secretary-treasurer; Peter Morolis, the AFL–CIO's local political director, and Frank Hutchins, a staff representative. A day's grace. All were released from the eastern district police station on their own recognizance. 538935277 Clark and union area director Ernest Crofoot both subsequently suggested to the city and to the media that the strike might turn violent, and that the union would be unable to control this violence.Cramer Richard Ben City union defies Mayor, fines threat Baltimore Sun 8 July 1974 A1, A10 [Crofoot] added that the union is doing its best to restrain its members from illegal or violent acts but said: 'It's getting pretty close to the point where we're just going to have to wash our hands of the whole thing. Raymond Clarke, the president of Local 44 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, seconded the predictions of trouble. 'Our position is that we can't prevent violence, he said. I've been a sanitation worker for 35 years, and I know how the men will react. They're not going to let these people come in and take over their jobs. I'm sure there's going to be some violence." 539001623 Police involvement increased the stakes for AFSCME, which had the potential to unionize police locals around the country.Analysis: Union sources expect pay increase in city Baltimore Sun 15 July 1974 Richard Ben Cramer Tom Horton A1, A8 So pervasive is the international's control of the talks, in fact, that Thomas A. Rapannotti, the leader of Maryland's Police Council 27, was suspended from his union post during the early stages of the talks because he negotiated with city officials one afternoon without an international representative at his elbow. [...] The national union is currently the fastest-growing labor organization in the country, adding about 1,000 to its 700,000 national membership each week. Police, largely unorganized throughout the country, could be a major area for future expansion, but only if the Baltimore strike is a success. 538958921 AFL–CIO AFSCME is part of the AFL–CIO, which has its own regional representatives in Baltimore. The regional AFL–CIO established a welfare fund to help striking workers who missed paychecks. CMEA The Classified Municipal Employees Association (CMEA), a union for white-collar city workers in Baltimore, did not back the strike; indeed, its members had been paid overtime to act as strikebreakers. CMEA leadership downplayed their union's responsibility, stating that individuals had made their own decisions to pick up trash during the strike. Resolution Negotiations were fruitless for most of the strike.Krause Charles A. Fund Seizure In Baltimore Strike Cleared: Tie-up Set Of Union's Finances The Washington Post 11 July 1974 B1, B8 B1, B8 146145457 The police walkout quickly spurred long negotiations, with both locals, at the Lord Baltimore Hotel.Cramer Richard Ben Situation seems calm Baltimore Sun 13 July 1974 A1, A8 The meeting between the city and high federation officials seemed to confirm earlier reports from union sources that contract talks for the laborers and police are being lumped together. The union sources said they hope to use the pressure generated by the police strike to aid the 3,000 striking sewer, sanitation, highway and parks workers. 538944836 These negotiations were tightly controlled by AFSCME leadership from outside Baltimore. According to The Baltimore Sun reporter Tom Horton, they were also confusing, frustrating, and substantially fueled by alcohol.Horton Tom A few remarks about bargaining, containing some on heroes, camp followers Baltimore Sun 16 July 1974 A10 The big surge came Sunday at 11 P.M. when a high city official told reporters, 'We'll have it wrapped up in an hour.' About 1 A.M. yesterday, the same official returned and repeated his message, but this time his words slurred and his breath was in the vicinity of 80 proof. At 2 A.M. he was last seen outside the hotel stumbling slowly across the deserted intersection of Charles and Baltimore streets. 538932734 By July 14, negotiators had apparently come slightly closer, with the city offering 25 cents instead of 20 and the union asking for 40 cents instead of 50.Cramer Richard Ben Police union, Rapanotti fined $35,000 a day Baltimore Sun 14 July 1974 A1, A3 538976784 Some expressed fears that the police union would capitulate too quickly to the city's demands.Franklin Ben A. Striking Baltimore Police Told to Work or Lose Jobs The New York Times 15 July 1974 1, 12 The police local has been regarded by leaders of other unions as the most likely to reach what they have called a 'premature settlement' with the city. 120103725 In fact, Local 44 came to an agreement first, on July 15. The total negotiating time had been 43 hours.Franklin Ben A. BALTIMORE ENDS ITS 15-DAY STRIKE: Municipal Pact Exceeds 6%—Police Still Seek Amnesty The New York Times 16 July 1974 1, 22 119962186 The city agreed to an incremental raise of 70 cents per hour over the next two years, starting with an immediate raise of 25 cents per hour. The city also agreed to negotiate a new system for reckoning absences.The week that was... https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3eVfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PAMGAAAAIBAJ&dq=strike%20and%20sanitation%20%7C%20garbage%20%7C%20trash&pg=1972%2C410295 5 August 2012 Baltimore Afro-American 20 July 1974 When the strike was settled on Monday, the city did indeed retreat from its former adamant position of no money and offered instead a two-year package, which put together an increase providing a minimum of 70 cents an hour for workers whose pay ranges from $3.03 to $3.50 an hour. This means that all employees represented by Local 44 will receive an immediate 25 cents hourly increase. In January and March, 1975, there will be two other 5-cent boosts and a 35 cent increase in July, 1975. According to these terms, annual salary for a starting full-time waste collector would be about $7,800. The city also promised full medical coverage and no reprisals for the strikers.Barbash Fred Baltimore Work Strike Ends The Washington Post 16 July 1974 146160431 Some of the strikers returned to work late on that day. None of the union leaders were jailed. The charges against Wurf and Lucy were dropped in November.Litlin David Michael Trash-strike charges dropped Baltimore Sun 21 November 1974 C1, C2 Charges of obstructing passage into a landfill site during last summer's garbage strike were dismissed yesterday for four city employee's union officials after the state's attorney's office declined to prosecute. The case against the officials, including Jerry Wurf, international president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFL–CIO) has been postponed half-a-dozen ties since their arrest because of the failure to appear for trial. An Eastern District policeman who worked on the case took the unusual step of going on record in District Court against the prosecutor's decision, saying it appeared someone had put pressure on the state attorney's office to drop the charges. 538935277 Aftermath Judge Murphy fined the union $90,000, to be paid out of workers' checks (a cost of approximately $9 per worker). Mayor Schaefer promised that "taxpayers are not going to pay for one red cent for this year's settlement," suggesting that 300 public sector workers would be laid off to accommodate the raise. 60–70 prison guards walked off their jobs on July 18 in reaction to the suspension of 23 guards for striking. The suspension decision was reversed that night.Legal Action Planned on Police Union https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-lJdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o1sNAAAAIBAJ&dq=baltimore%20guards%20jail%20%7C%20prison%20arrest&pg=2399%2C3028146 5 August 2012 Observer-Reporter 18 July 1974 D3 Members of the CMEA rejected a merger with AFSCME in August, expressing dissatisfaction with the strike.CMEA-AFSCME split tied to July labor strike Baltimore Sun 17 August 1974 B2 "Members of the Classified Municipal Employees Association, which represents about 5,000 white collar workers on the city payroll, voted by a 6-to-1 margin to reject the merger with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Although AFSCME officials were silent on the subject yesterday, members of the Classified Municipal Employees Association said the vote clearly rejected AFSCME's strike tactics. 535518736 Governor Marvin Mandel, in the midst of a campaign for re-election, took some flak from labor leaders for his role in the strike (backing Schaefer and Pomerleau).Barbieri, Jr. Anthony Labor votes to reject Mandel https://www.proquest.com/docview/538821888/ 6 August 2012 Baltimore Sun 28 September 1974 B1, B2 The political arm of the state AFL–CIO, still angry of the handling of Baltimore's police strike, refused again yesterday to endorse the re-election effort of Governor Mandel. However, as in the primary election—when labor also denied the Governor its endorsement—a half dozen or so key unions are expected to back Mr. Mandel individually.Walsh Edward Mandel Scores Union Chief's Strike Role The Washington Post 2 Aug 1974 A22 Facing a small revolt among some labor leaders in Maryland, Gov. Marvin Mandel accused a national union leader of 'irresponsible' interference in a police strike in Baltimore and said he would forego the union's support in this year's election rather than give into its demands. 146153280 The Baltimore police force was understaffed for at least the rest of the year and reported substantial increases in crime.Roeder Edward Figures are kept secret: Discipline leaves police short-handed https://www.proquest.com/docview/538757508/ 8 August 2012 Baltimore Sun 18 December 1974 A1, A12 Baltimore's already-rising crime rate increased dramatically in the months after hundreds of police officers resigned or were fired following last July's police strike. Since the strike, the Police Department's patrol units have been seriously understaffed. Many positions have gone underfilled or have been filled by rookies and administrative personnel not experienced in patrol work. AFSCME was the major negotiator for municipal workers when their contracts were renegotiated in 1976.Kimelman Donald AFSCME, city agree to arbitrate wages Baltimore Sun 29 April 1976 Claiming that the Mayor is trying to force a strike, the city's largest employees union yesterday broke off contract negotiations and called for independent arbitration of its wage package for the coming fiscal year. 538566599 It negotiated a 4% raise for municipal workers; the city also agreed to impose mandatory fees for non-union workers who benefited from the negotiations. This bargain was not popular with the workers themselves, many of whom shouted and screamed at president Ray Clarke after his announcement.Kimelman Donald Union ratifies city pact: AFSCME gets 4% raise, agency shop Baltimore Sun 8 July 1976 A1 Over the shouts and catcalls of hundreds of disgruntled members, the biggest municipal employees union last night ratified a new two-year contract with the city of Baltimore. For most of 10,000 city workers represented by Local 44 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFL–CIO), the contract means raises of a little more than 4 per cent each year. In addition, Mayor Schaefer agreed to make seniority the principal criterion governing layoffs and he agreed to enforce a controversial law that requires non-union employees who receive the benefits of union bargaining to pay a 'service fee' to the appropriate union. 538444803 See also List of incidents of civil unrest in Baltimore References 2 Category:Labor disputes in Maryland Category:1974 in Maryland Category:Government of Baltimore Category:Riots and civil disorder in Baltimore Category:American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Category:1974 labor disputes and strikes Category:1970s strikes in the United States Category:1970s in Baltimore