A grassroots petition drive seeking to restore collective bargaining rights for Salisbury’s municipal workers has officially surpassed 6,000 signatures, putting the issue on a fast track toward a public voter referendum.
The surge in signatures comes in direct response to a controversial decision led by Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor and the Salisbury City Council to strip city employees, including police and firefighters, of their collective bargaining power. While organizers needed only 20% of registered voters to force a ballot measure, the final count far exceeded that minimum. Mayor Taylor issued a statement noting that signature verification is a two-step process, adding that he "would let that process play out."
Activists view the strong turnout as a clear rebuke of the city's current leadership.
"Overwhelmingly, we have come together and agreed that the mayor and city council's decision to take away collective bargaining was the wrong decision," said Jared Schablein, chair of Shore Progress. "I think that's a testament to the support our first responders and city workers have."
According to Schablein, the petition gained immense traction. In District 3, represented by Councilwoman Sharon Dashiell, organizers recorded their highest signature volume.
The coalition, which includes AFSCME, the Library Union, and local first responders, argues that eliminating union protections has crippled worker retention. Schablein noted that local fire stations are hosting open houses every three months to find staff, while the police department has been forced to pull detectives off active investigations to handle standard patrol shifts.
With verification underway, organizers are already looking ahead to the next phase. "We're going to move to the next step, file all the entities and paperwork that we need," Schablein said. "And then we're going to go out talking to voters... to stop the ending of collective bargaining here in the city of Salisbury."
