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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