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House bill seeks statutory floor for municipal and county collective bargaining; supporters and local government groups split
Summary
HB 1509 would extend a standardized collective-bargaining framework to county and municipal employees, creating a statutory floor and allowing local variations if approved by the Public Employee Relations Board; unions supported the measure and county/municipal associations submitted written opposition.
Delegate Kevin M. Harris told the Appropriations Committee that House Bill 1509 aims to modernize and standardize collective-bargaining rights for local government employees across Maryland, creating a statutory floor of rights similar to those established in the 2023 Public Employee Relations Act for the state, K–12 and higher education.
"This bill provides the framework to make that a reality," Harris said, describing the measure as a way to give municipal and county workers consistent access to unionization and collective bargaining without each locality requiring separate charters or legislation. Attorney David Marr, representing AFSCME Council 3 and other unions, described the bill as establishing a practical floor while permitting counties and cities to adopt local rules on certain topics, provided the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) finds those local rules do not reduce employee rights below the statutory minimum.
"Once the public employee relations board signs off on that and finds that it does not diminish employee rights beyond this floor, the county or municipality is allowed to legislate in that space," Marr told the committee.
Denise Gilmore, legislative and political director for AFSCME Maryland, testified in favor and said the measure would provide access to collective bargaining for municipal employees and roughly half of county employees who currently lack practical access. Supporters also highlighted modern practices such as card-check recognition and the benefits of centralized PERB adjudication.
Representatives of the Maryland Association of Counties and the Maryland Municipal League submitted written unfavorable testimony, arguing the bill would preempt local authority and limit municipalities' ability to tailor labor relations to local conditions. Committee materials show those local-government associations asked the committee to review written testimony rather than presenting on the panel.
Ending — The hearing concluded with supporters urging a favorable report and local-government associations filing written opposition. No committee vote was recorded during the hearing.
