Salisbury City Workers Win Formal Recognition of Their Union, to join Police, Fire in Collective Bargaining

SALISBURY, MD -General government workers employed by the City of Salisbury, have won formal recognition of their union after the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) certified majority support within the bargaining unit.

This victory was made possible after Salisbury City Council members April Jackson, Muir Boda, Angela Blake, Michele Gregory, and Megan Outten voted to amend the city charter and pass a labor code to grant collective bargaining rights to all city employees within three distinct units: police, fire, and general government.

The union, which will be the first of its kind on the eastern shore, will see all 3 units represented in a collective bargaining agreement that AFSCME Council 3 Union President Patrick Morgan says will be drafted following Salisbury’s Mayoral election in November.

“They’re going to try to advocate as vigorously as they can for everything they provide and to ensure that people have a good middle-class wage that benefits everyone in the community because our members, you know, they earn their money in their communities and they spend their money in their communities,” Moran said.

Workers in Salisbury formed their union to address concerns around fair and consistent treatment, competitive wages, advancement opportunities and continuing education, transparency from administration, improved parental leave, adequate staffing levels, safe and functional equipment, and improved safety standards on the job.