A new report found tens of thousands of Maryland households were made financially insecure by the pandemic.

The report puts the number of financially insecure households in the state at nearly 900,000, with an increase of 70,000 since the beginning of COVID.

The "Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed" project was initiated by the United Way of Northern New Jersey in 2009. The report attempted to capture the financial circumstances of working people who still cannot afford the basics such as housing, food, health care and child care.

Overall, nearly 40 % of households in Maryland were financially insecure in 2021, with 10% below the Federal Poverty Level, and another 28% in the category experiencing difficulties. The report said among the 20 most common occupations in Maryland in 2021, 55% paid less than $20 an hour.

Franklyn Baker, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Maryland, noted while living wage advocates have attempted to raise the minimum wage closer to $20 an hour, in many places it is still not enough.

"There's this hyperfixation around the country on the term living wage or thriving wage or survivable wage," Baker observed. "But at the end of the day, $20 per hour is still not at a place where you're really thriving as a family. And so you're really just trying to survive at 20 bucks an hour."

A Federal Reserve survey last year showed 32% of all adults did not have $400 for an unexpected economic emergency.

While many people in poverty, or just above the Federal Poverty Line qualify for federal and state benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid, many middle income households do not. People working who get a raise or are promoted often face a sudden drop-off in benefits advocates refer to as a 'benefits cliff'.

Baker argued legislators need to change the eligibility requirements so the impact of benefits loss is more gradual.

"There's legislation in many states in the queue or has already been passed, that essentially can delay the impact," Baker explained. "Instead of an immediate impact, it's over the course of multiple years. So it's a gradual hit in the loss of eligibility for certain benefits that they've become reliant upon."

During the pandemic many households were kept afloat by expanded federal supports which have since ended. The study's authors estimated the cost of living for a family of four renting a residence in the state in 2021 was more than $80,000 dollars per year. Incomes providing a middle class living a few years ago now leave families struggling to make ends meet and leave almost no room for savings, they added.


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Michigan's tipped wage system is on the brink of extinction, with changes set to take effect next month after a state Supreme Court ruling last year mandated higher wages for tip-reliant workers.

The ruling will eliminate tipped wages below minimum wage and raise the state's minimum wage to more than $12 per hour.

Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the almost 250% increase in the wages of tipped workers would be catastrophic and he said it is happening at the worst possible time, as inflation hits his industry more than others.

"You add that difficult environment to this new policy and you have the recipe for the loss of 60,000 restaurant jobs in Michigan and the closure of one in five full-service sit-down restaurants in Michigan," Winslow contended. "When I say catastrophic I think that's what we mean."

Supporters of the change argued it ensures fair pay and reduces income instability for tipped employees, who can face unpredictable earnings. Tipped wages are set to be phased out Feb. 21.

Winslow pointed out servers are currently earning around $30 an hour, with some making even more, all while enjoying flexible schedules. He emphasized roughly 80% of workers want to preserve the current system. On a positive note, Winslow noted bipartisan efforts are in motion, with similar bills from both parties set to be discussed in a hearing today, to protect tipped wages.

"The new House leadership seems to be making it a real priority to try to get something done in advance of February 21st, so we'll be front and center there making sure they understand and hear from the voices of impacted restaurant workers and restaurant owners."

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association warned as many as 60,000 jobs could be in jeopardy if businesses are required to eliminate tipped wages.


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The faculty of a New York City music school is planning to strike after contract negotiations stalled.

The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege program faculty union has been negotiating a contract since June, and said it has been a protracted effort. The union wants a pay increase aligning with other schools such as Julliard and the Mannes School of Music.

Adam Kent, president of the union, said the school's low pay affects teachers' ability to work.

"There are, as the fall semester is ending, several teachers who are leaving altogether," Kent pointed out. "There are a number of teachers I speak to who tell me they used to teach 10-hour-long days, now they're down to a single student who will take lessons with them at their home instead of at the school."

While the school has said there's not enough money for the pay raise, tax filing data showed the school's president and executives received large pay increases in recent years. Other data noted the school's tuition has risen 58% since 2014.

In a statement, the school challenged many of the union's accusations about why negotiations have taken so long. While the union has been around for a decade, Kent emphasized contract negotiations have always been hard-fought battles.

The union has made concessions regarding the pay increase but Kent feels the school must do its part so the two parties can reach an equitable agreement. When negotiations began, union members gave the school the benefit of the doubt, adding the sentiment changed after reviewing the school's financial data.

"It's clear there's no reason they can't afford to pay us fairly," Kent asserted. "They've never made a claim of an inability to afford these raises at bargaining. Their response has been, 'We just don't have to.' They don't take us seriously. They feel why should we start paying more money for the same work we've had up until now."

Kent pointed out the pay raise is sought to match the cost of living in New York City. The union also wants to keep class sizes at reasonable levels and ensure teachers can easily access remote learning tools when needed through the next contract. A Change.org petition from the union has garnered close to 2,000 signatures.


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Labor analysts say doctors have jumped to the front of the line of healthcare workers forming unions while others in the medical field continue to show interest, including nurses at a hospital in the North Dakota region.

Nurses at the CHI St. Francis Health Breckenridge hospital along the border with Minnesota now have a collective bargaining unit.

Connie Okeson, a registered nurse at the hospital, said she hopes voting to form a union allows her team to illustrate staffing issues. She emphasized they have to fight to make health facilities in smaller towns and cities desirable places to work.

"A lot of new nurses, they're not interested in working in small towns because we don't have all the things they want to do in a hospital," Okeson pointed out. "It's more low-key. But I'm hoping by doing this that we can bring those ancillary services back. And then, maybe more nurses will want to work at St. Francis."

CHI leaders could not be reached for comment. Since coming out of the pandemic, labor organizing in health care has gained a bigger following. Nurses were among those leading the charge, but the Journal of the American Medical Association said the movement has caught on with physicians. Doctors led nearly 30 union drives the past two years, well above yearly averages the past two decades.

St. Francis Breckenridge is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving a handful of communities. Corporate consolidation remains a force within health care and Okeson noted nurses want to be part of the wave giving workers at not-so-big facilities a bigger voice.

"I'm hoping it opens it up for (workers at) other small hospitals to do the same," Okeson stressed.

She added having more input can improve patient care, aiding the reputation of small-town hospitals and making sure they stay on as a key employer for these communities. Negotiations involving her colleagues are expected to begin within the next six to eight weeks.