Maryland workers protest budget cuts

ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 15 (UPI) -- Thousands of Maryland teachers and public workers descended on the state Capitol Monday night to protest Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget cuts.

Chanting "hands off our pensions," the protesters denounced the governor's plans to close a $1.6 billion budget gap by freezing education funds and increasing their pension contributions, The Washington Post reported.

Near the end of the rally, O'Malley, a Democrat, went outside and addressed the protesters.

"I don't like this budget either," he said, "but I wanted to come here and say this: Our state is not like other states. We are a great state ... because our public employees do a good job every single day."

He told the crowd his administration is "committed to staying at the table and figuring this thing out" with the unions.

As he left the stage, O'Malley embraced AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka and posed for pictures with union members and others.