Member Spotlight: Brandon J. Brown Sr.

Local 2898 member Brandon J. Brown Sr. is a Senior Building Maintenance Specialist at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), which provides water and wastewater services to Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. He also serves as the Recording Secretary for his local union, advocating for fair pay and safer working conditions for him and his coworkers.

Brandon lives in Prince George’s County, one of the communities served by WSSC. For him, keeping water systems safe and running means protecting his neighbors and family.

"This job isn’t easy and definitely not for the faint of heart," he says. "You have to know plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, how to operate heavy machinery, and more. Things can get dangerous very quick if you aren’t being vigilant.”

When he first started at WSSC in 2018, Brandon didn’t realize how underpaid he was for the hazardous and essential work he does. That pushed him to get involved with the union. "Being part of my union gave me a platform to raise the issue of pay equity I was seeing across WSSC — not just for me but for my coworkers too."

Recently, Brandon attended an AFSCME Maryland Regional Meeting in Bowie, one of several meetings focused on how federal cuts will affect public services and working people across Maryland. He left with a deeper understanding of how decisions made at the top can directly impact workers like him.

"WSSC isn’t immune. Many employers, including ours, are looking to cut costs," he says. “But we’re the subject matter experts. We know how the work gets done and where resources are needed. If cuts are coming, we need to be part of that conversation — so we can protect our jobs, maintain safe working conditions, and ensure quality public services are being provided to our communities.”