Under pressure from state workers and unions reacting to persistent Legionella bacteria findings at State Center, Maryland officials are again ordering the buildings at the sprawling Baltimore office complex to be shut down for systems to be flushed and sanitized.

The 301 West Preston Street building will be closed tomorrow, and employees are being asked to telework while “a more comprehensive flushing and sanitizing is performed,” an “URGENT” Department of General Services (DGS) memo obtained by The Brew says.

On Thursday, 201 West Preston Street will be closed for the day, and employees required to telework as the building undergoes the same procedure.

On Friday, 1100 North Eutaw Street will likewise be closed, and employees told to work from home.

The internal announcements came as leaders of one union planned to distribute fliers to State Center workers on Wednesday morning, warning them of the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, while another union decried the state’s handling of the issue at a rally of about 100 members held today.

“Right behind me, in front of me, all around me, the State Center buildings are battling Legionella bacteria in the water,” said Diane Williams, secretary treasurer of AFSCME Maryland local 1535.

“And yet the state has made people come back into the office, even with the bacteria still in the water and in the air.”

The rally was intended to highlight the impacts of low pay and staffing shortages on workers and the public across a wide range of state agencies.

The event’s backdrop – aging buildings where employees are currently instructed not to drink the water and are concerned about aerosolized Legionella when they flush the toilets or use the sinks – illustrated the issue in dramatic fashion.

“We fully agree with AFSCME and all the issues they raise, but these buildings are, if not ‘on fire,’ then arguably an immediate ongoing health hazard that must be addressed,” said Todd Reynolds, Maryland political coordinator for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Reynolds said AFT plans to distribute fliers at State Center advising employees that they can request telework and  to report back to the union if their request is denied.

The flier will include warnings about symptoms of illness related to Legionella and advise them to see a physician if they have concerns.

“We don’t matter to them”

DGS officials have so far not answered a list of questions from The Brew.

Reynolds, who spoke to a reporter by phone and was not part of today’s rally, said he is pressing the same concerns about Legionella as AFSCME.

After last month’s announcement that the health-harming bacteria was detected in State Center water, the buildings were closed for flushing and sanitizing.

Subsequent tests showed the bacteria was still present, but workers were told to return to their offices and left wondering what that meant for their health.

That uncertainty has been especially acute for older workers and those with underlying health conditions, making them more susceptible to serious respiratory illness that can be caused by Legionella.

“You’re making them feel incredibly unsafe coming to work”  – Camden Roberts, AFSCME Council 3.

“You’re making them feel incredibly unsafe coming to work,” said Camden Roberts, a field representative for AFSCME Council 3, which represents the majority of the more than 4,000 workers at the complex.

“I’ve spoken to people who have used administrative leave. Some are considering trying to use their sick time – anything to not be in the building,” Roberts said after the rally.

“Legionnaires’ disease is very serious. It’s fatal in some cases. In other cases, if not fatal, you are hospitalized. And some people will be put on respirators,” Reynolds said.

“It’s very disheartening to see public employees and their health treated so cavalierly. They feel like they’re tossed aside, like they don’t matter, their lives are disposable.”

The unions say state officials have left employees in the dark about the test results, corrective actions and health risks.

The email that disclosed a continuing finding of Legionella reportedly was not received by all employees. The latest advisories saying dishes could be washed in the sinks conflicted with earlier signage in bathrooms saying they should be washed at home.

Reynolds said AFT filed multiple complaints with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) about the State Center Legionella issue and has not been satisfied with the response.

A MOSH spokeswoman confirmed the agency is investigating.

Relocation Promises

Asked at the rally about the Legionella issue, AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran pointed to what he said was the larger issue – the state’s failure to maintain its offices and worksites and spend the money needed to build new quarters.

“It’s a billion dollar backlog for deferred maintenance,” he said. “So now they’re renting spots across the city instead of rehabbing these buildings. At the end of the day, they’re going to pay more to developers and to landlords, leasing out spaces across the city, instead of just refurbish what they have.”

The years-long dispute over the fate of the 25-acre state-owned complex recently reached a turning point when the state agreed to pay a $58.5 million settlement to the developers who had planned a sweeping redevelopment project there.

After former Gov. Larry Hogan killed the redevelopment plan in 2021, thousands of State Center workers were relocated to other locations in Baltimore.

But many more remain at the campus of 1950s-era buildings that employees say are plagued with mice, poor ventilation and other issues, together with longstanding water quality problems.

A plan to move the Maryland Department of Health from the 201 West Preston Street building to a refurbished Metro West complex (the former Social Security Administration building near Lexington Market) has so far not materialized.

Union leader Williams, a revenue specialist at the state comptroller’s office, said MDH employees and other workers in the building are tired of the promises.

Her advice to state leaders is to keep to their word and close the aging buildings.

“We know that old infrastructure does deteriorate, get corroded and stuff like that,” she said. “So let’s close the buildings, relocate the people and get some new locations where we can do our jobs safely.”