by Robert S. Teachout, Brightmine Legal Editor
Two new laws enacted in Maryland strengthen the state’s union-friendly reputation.
S.B. 417, the Maryland Worker Freedom Act, prohibits employers from taking adverse action against employees or applicants who refuse to attend mandatory meetings about the employer’s opinion on religious or political matters, such as union organizing. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
Employers also will be required to post a notice advising employees of their rights and protections under the law. This requirement will take effect once the Commissioner of Labor and Industry develops and makes a poster and model notice available (which is due by November 1, 2026).
S.B. 831 authorizes the state’s Public Employee Relations Board, effective June 1, 2026, to process private sector employee representation petitions and resolve unfair labor practice charges in the event the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is unable to or declines to take jurisdiction.
California, New York and Washington have passed similar laws. The NLRB has filed lawsuits in California and New York to invalidate those laws on the grounds that they are preempted by the National Labor Relations Act, and federal courts in both states have temporarily blocked the laws while the lawsuits continue.
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About the author
Robert S. Teachout, SHRM – SCP, Legal Editor
Robert Teachout has worked in legal publishing since 1990 covering employment laws on the federal, state and local level. At Brightmine, he covers labor relations, employment contracts and restrictive covenants, performance management, succession and workforce planning, employee engagement and retention, organizational exit and HR professional development. He often writes on the intersection of compliance with HR strategy and practice as editorial lead for Commentary and Insights and the Leading Practice Guides. He is also the host of the Brightmine webinar series.
Before joining Brightmine, Robert was a senior HR editor at Thompson Information Services, covering the FMLA, ADA, and EEO issues, along with federal and state leave laws. Prior to that he was the primary editor of Bloomberg BNA’s State Labor Laws binders and the principal writer and editor of the State Wage Assignment and Garnishment Handbook. Robert also served as a union unit leader and shop steward in the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild of the Communications Workers of America. Actively involved in the HR profession, Robert is a member of SHRM at both the national and local levels and gives back to the profession by volunteering with his local chapter.
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