Collective Bargaining - Local Government Employees and Public Employee Relations Act

HB 1509 establishes collective bargaining rights for county and municipal employees in Maryland by applying the state's Public Employee Relations Act to local government employers. The bill creates specific procedures for negotiations, including binding arbitration for unresolved disputes, and defines key terms like "public local employee" (excluding supervisory staff and confidential employees). It prohibits bargaining units from combining supervisory and non-supervisory workers and requires local governments to provide documentation to the Public Labor Relations Board. The law explicitly excludes school boards, community college boards, and public library systems from coverage. This bill directly affects thousands of local government workers across Maryland's counties and municipalities.