Wicomico County Board of Elections has certified enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot that would reverse the end of collective bargaining for Salisbury City employees. Delmarva Public Media's Don Rush talks with Jared Schablein, chair of Shore Progress, about the effort and what comes next.
Election officials found 5,818 valid signatures among more than 7,000 processed, clearing the way for the proposal to appear on a future ballot. The certification marks another milestone in the campaign to reverse Mayor Randy Taylor and Salisbury City Council's decision to end collective bargaining.
Jared Schablein, chair of Shore Progress, a nonpartisan civic group focusing on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, said the petition drive drew broad support across the city.
"We had support from every single district in the city of Salisbury, from every racial, demographic, economic background," Schablein said. "We had people from all over the city that all came together and agreed that we believe our first responders and city workers should have collective bargaining rights." Questions have surfaced about whether the petition process could face a legal challenge, but Schablein said organizers are confident the advancement will stand.
"To my knowledge... there's no legitimate legal challenge to this," he said. "We're excited to have the residents of Salisbury have the final say on this."Schablein also argued the issue could influence future city elections, pointing to strong participation across Salisbury's five council districts.
"They're going to have to answer for turning their back on first responders and working families," he said, adding that voters were well aware of where city leaders stood on the issue during the petition drive.
Assuming no legal action delays the process, Salisbury residents will have the opportunity to decide whether collective bargaining rights should be reinstated for city employees at the ballot box.
