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, Brightmine
Robert Teachout has more than 30 years’ experience in legal publishing covering employment laws on the state and federal level. At Brightmine, he covers labor relations, performance appraisals and promotions, succession and workforce planning, HR professional development and employment contracts. He often writes on the intersection of compliance with HR strategy and practice.
Before joining Brightmine, Robert was a senior HR editor at Thompson Information Services, covering FMLA, ADA, EEO issues and federal and state leave laws. Prior to that he was the primary editor of Bloomberg BNA’s State Labor Laws binders and was 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 serving as the communications vice president on the board of his local chapter.
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