Union Victories: AFSCME Locals Advance Fair Arbitration in Maryland Counties

AFSCME Local 582 and Local 2563 won a significant victory on their path to achieve an important tool for fair contract negotiations. On Monday, October 20th, members of Local 582 and Local 2563 advocated for a resolution that will place binding interest arbitration on the ballot this November in Anne Arundel County. Binding interest arbitration is an important tool to level the playing field between management and labor in negotiations. When the parties reach an impasse, or a standstill in negotiations, binding interest arbitration enables a neutral expert to resolve the dispute and issue a final binding award that resolves the negotiations dispute. This is an important tool because public employees do not have the right to strike, and binding interest arbitration is the tool to hold management accountable in the negotiations process to reach an agreement. For over twenty years, public safety unions in Anne Arundel County have had access to this critical tool.

AFSCME Local 582 President Kevin Nethers spoke in strong support of the resolution and why this important tool is needed for 582's members. Additionally, former AFSCME Local 582 President Michael Akers detailed how binding interest arbitration could have resolved a past negotiations dispute where members only received half of what they deserved and that moving forward this tool could prevent this from happening to future workers. Their advocacy propelled the Anne Arundel County Council to unanimously approve the resolution 7-0 with all Democrats and Republicans voting in support of the resolution. We urge all AFSCME members to vote in favor of this charter amendment in the November 2026 election in Anne Arundel County and we will have future updates as the election draws closer.

On Tuesday, October 21st, AFSCME Local 1802, in solidarity with other unions in the county including AFSCME Local 2471, advocated for a council bill that would establish grievance arbitration as a required part of their collective bargaining agreement with Harford County. Since taking office, current county executive Bob Cassilly has taken a hostile approach with unions in the county and has actively sought to undermine their collective bargaining agreements and their rights. This legislation would act as an important bulwark against further attempts by Cassilly to undermine their contract, while also holding management accountable when there is a dispute regarding their collective bargaining agreement. AFSCME Local 1802 President Daniel Griffith and AFSCME Local 1802 Vice President Kris Andoos spoke in strong support of the bill, citing a need to have a fair and quick way to settle disputes under their contract. AFSCME Local 1802 members Kendall Hill, James Engelbrecht, Kenneth Delano, and Scott Thommen stood shoulder to shoulder with their union and also advocated for passage of the bill.

In solidarity with Local 1802, AFSCME Local 2471 President Tunisia Gannon, AFSCME Local 2471 Chief Steward Chritina Breland, and Local 2471 Board Member Tina Graf all spoke in favor of the bill, highlighting that their local union already has grievance arbitration to settle disputes between their local and Harford County Public Schools. Local 1802 will continue to advocate for passage of the bill in solidarity with other unions in the county.