ANNAPOLIS, Md. — On March 14, 2025, Governor Wes Moore signed three memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Maryland’s first responder state employee labor unions: BWI Airport Professional Firefighters-International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1742, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 34-Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MDTA/FOP), and the State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance (SLEOLA). The agreements, formalized in a ceremony attended by union leaders, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, and Maryland Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Samantha Biddle, aim to secure benefits for firefighters and police officers.
“At a time when we are watching attacks on public sector workers, in Maryland we are protecting our people,” said Gov. Moore. “Today’s agreements ensure that firefighters and police officers receive the benefits they’ve earned, and affirm our commitment to organized labor and working people everywhere.” The MOUs, available at dbm.maryland.gov, reflect the state’s support for collective bargaining amid national challenges to public sector unions.
Christian Rejonis, President of BWI Airport Professional Firefighters-IAFF Local 1742, expressed gratitude: “I would like to thank Governor Moore and his administration for helping us to achieve a contract that we could be proud of in the midst of extremely difficult financial times.” Similarly, Jim Kruszynski, President of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 34, praised the governor’s transparency: “True to his word, Governor Moore has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to maintaining an open, receptive, and transparent approach… a stance I sincerely appreciate.”
These agreements cover critical first responders, including 200 firefighters at BWI Airport (IAFF Local 1742), 300 MDTA police officers (FOP Lodge 34), and over 1,000 SLEOLA members across state law enforcement, per union estimates. Maryland’s public sector employs 48,000 workers, with 45% unionized, per 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, higher than the national average of 33%. The MOUs come as states like Tennessee and Florida have imposed new union restrictions, highlighting Maryland’s contrasting approach. However, the “difficult financial times” noted by Rejonis may signal budget constraints, potentially limiting the scope of benefits, a concern raised in recent state fiscal reports projecting a $1 billion deficit by 2027.
