By Josh Davis
Baltimore Sun
SALISBURY, Md. — Salisbury’s fight over organized labor is headed from City Hall to the ballot box.
Just moments after the City Council voted Tuesday night to repeal collective bargaining rights for more than 200 municipal employees, union supporters launched a petition drive to force the issue before voters in a special referendum.
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After months of heated debate, the council voted 3-2 to remove a charter provision granting bargaining rights to city workers, including general employees and first responders.
“This is a difficult decision for everybody … but we had to make it on the basis of the reality of the finances,” Mayor Randy Taylor said.
Taylor proposed the repeal in April, arguing the city could not sustain the long-term financial impact. The proposal sparked weeks of demonstrations from city workers and union representatives, culminating Tuesday evening with roughly 100 protesters gathered outside the Government Office Building before the vote.
The repeal marks another sharp policy shift under Taylor, who, since taking office in 2023, has rolled back or eliminated several initiatives championed by former Mayor Jake Day, including Salisbury’s rainbow Pride crosswalk, the Maryland Folk Festival and the Housing First homelessness program.
Collective bargaining rights in Salisbury were approved in 2022 under Day’s administration.
Resident Jared Schablein said a petition drive to reverse the repeal would start immediately.
“Over the next 40 days that this goes forward, we will not pause. We will talk to our neighbors, collect signatures, and build a movement across the city,” he said. “When the election comes, we will bury this terrible piece of legislation at the ballot box.”
On Tuesday night, City Council members described a difficult decision made amid high tensions.
“There’s no way I could have sat behind this table tonight and not pass the vote I did, based strictly on the budget,” Councilperson Melissa Holland said.
City Council President April Jackson said the decision came down to simple math.
“What I’m doing right now is trying to save this city from bankruptcy,” she said.
Others said the repeal could trigger a wave of staff resignations. Two weeks ago, fire and EMS officials said as many as four workers had already left or were leaving.
“We are going to lose employees, and that terrifies me,” Councilperson Michele Gregory said.
Before the vote, public comments on the topic ran for nearly an hour. Many speakers said it was disingenuous to argue that taking away bargaining rights would save the city money.
“Rights to collectively bargain do not equate to dollars. Rights to collectively bargain are human rights,” Salisbury resident Allison Grice said.
Brandon Records, president of the Salisbury Career Fire Fighters Local 4246, read a statement from IAFF President Edward A. Kelly sharply criticizing the city on behalf of 367,000 members. He said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks have also denounced the measure.
“You have indeed become the black eye of the government,” Records said.
Just one person, resident Riley Smith, spoke in favor of the amendment.
“Unions spend millions of dollars on contributions to political parties – namely, one political party, and their favorite color is blue, and a donkey is their mascot,” Smith said. “I do not like my tax dollars used as political contributions to lobby for increased taxes and generally ridiculous agendas.”
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