Baltimore County – Property Tax Credit – Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 34
HB 211 would extend collective bargaining rights under Maryland’s State Personnel and Pensions law to certain graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates at public higher education institutions. The bill defines “graduate assistant” and “postdoctoral associate” for purposes of the labor law and makes clear that these workers at University System of Maryland institutions, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland may be included in bargaining relationships. It also creates separate bargaining units for eligible graduate assistants and eligible postdoctoral associates, rather than folding them into existing employee categories.
The bill amends the list of employees excluded from the collective bargaining title so that undergraduate student employees remain excluded, while graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates are carved out as eligible despite otherwise being contingent, contractual, temporary, or grant-funded workers. It also updates the bargaining-unit provisions to require separate units for these groups alongside existing units for nonexempt employees, exempt employees, and sworn police officers. The act is set to take effect July 1, 2025.
HB 211 would change Maryland labor law for public higher education by expanding the pool of employees eligible for collective bargaining and by requiring institutions to recognize separate bargaining units for graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates. The affected entities are the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and, through the bargaining-unit structure, Baltimore City Community College. The bill would alter how these institutions classify certain graduate-level workers under the State Personnel and Pensions Article and would likely affect negotiations over wages, hours, and working conditions for research, teaching, and administrative assistants and postdoctoral trainees.
The available legislative record suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. It was introduced by a large group of delegates, received a favorable-with-amendments committee report, and was adopted by the House on second reading, indicating broad support for extending bargaining rights to these workers. No vote breakdown or committee transcript is provided, but the procedural history points to a positive reception rather than significant opposition at this stage.
The main policy issue is whether graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates should be treated like other public employees for collective bargaining purposes, despite their status as students or employee-trainees and despite many being contingent, temporary, or grant-funded. Supporters appear to favor recognizing their employment relationship and giving them a separate voice in negotiations. Potential concerns likely center on the impact on university labor relations, the scope of employee coverage, and whether these positions should be distinguished from undergraduate student employees and other excluded categories. The bill’s amendments suggest some effort to draw those lines carefully, especially by excluding undergraduate student employees while expressly including graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates.