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Laurel City Council passes amendment to unionize Department of Public Works

LAUREL, Md. (DC News Now) — Laurel City Council leaders unanimously passed an amendment to unionize the city’s Department of Public Works (DPW).

“We as a city more than anything, we have to stick together. I dig in the trash for a living guys, you guys have to understand we just want a voice,” said a DPW employee.

Public works employees have been campaigning for collective bargaining. Many of them say they deserve higher pay and protection. They want to be treated as essential workers like the city’s police department, but they want it done before the budget is finalized.

“This is an inequity that needs to be addressed immediately,” said Lloyd Holloway, a DPW employee.

“We put our life on the line every single day, just like Laurel PD does. They have their union. We’re asking for the same thing… We want our equal right to unionize. Bottom line, you say you support union rights. What’s the holdup?” he continued.

Mayor Craig Moe submitted a charter resolution in April, to create and vote on the labor code.

During their May city council meeting DPW employees shared that as the council puts together the labor code in the next 50 days, they want to ensure binding arbitration is included. They also want the labor code to be finalized before the 50-day deadline.

The president of UFCW Local 1994, the union that will represent the city’s DPW employees also had the chance to address the council at prior meetings.

“I’m perplexed as to why when you already have a model collective bargaining bill that you’re taking so long for to you decide whether or not you want to respect the request of your essential employees to exercise what I believe to be a human right, to sit down at the bargaining table and negotiate wages and benefits,” said Gino Renne, president of UFCW 1994.

During May’s council meeting, there was tension amongst council members, many of them saying they weren’t aware of DPW wanting collective bargaining before February, except for one, council member Martin Mitchell. Mitchell said he was aware in December.

“I wasn’t aware of you bargaining for you until February 27th when you came to the meeting,” said Council member Keith Snyder. “If council member Mitchell would have came to us councilmen and tell us what was going on then we wouldn’t have this problem,” he continued.

Mitchell responded “I championed, I didn’t follow the let’s investigate. So this is why were here in May, instead of June because of their advocacy that was continued.”

A Local 1994 representative intervened stating regardless of the dates, the process alone to unionize was more difficult than it should have been.

“I don’t know what difference the dates make to you but we worked with them. We found out how difficult it was to figure out exactly how to get them bargaining rights. If you have a faster way, show it to us,” he said.

Despite the challenge, the council unanimously passed the amendment.

The union says they will continue to focus on bargaining rights for Maryland’s smaller municipalities for city employees.