On November 3, Maryland voters approved two constitutional amendments that matter to working families across the state. Question 1 changes how state employees negotiate their contracts. Question 3 changes the rules for drawing Maryland’s congressional districts. AFT Maryland supported both.
Question 1: A Real Seat at the Table for State Workers
Maryland state employees aren’t allowed to strike. Until now, the bargaining process left them with little leverage. When talks stalled, a fact-finder could recommend a wage increase, but the recommendation wasn’t binding. The governor still decided whether workers got a raise and how much.
Question 1 passed with about three out of four votes. It requires the governor’s budget to fully fund the terms of state employee contracts, whether those terms were agreed at the table or set by a neutral arbitrator. Its passage also brings in binding arbitration. When negotiations reach an impasse, a neutral third party will now settle the dispute, so talks can’t drag on without end and neither side has all the power.
Statement from AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell
“Marylanders have voted to level the playing field for thousands of state employees who, until now, have been forced to fight uphill battles at the negotiating table as part of an unfair, one-sided process rigged against the workers who keep our state running every single day. With the passage of Question 1, our state workers – who deliver the critical services Marylanders rely on – have a real seat at the table, and that impact will be felt throughout the state.
“Fairer wages mean we can recruit and retain the workforce our state needs. Stronger protections mean workers can focus on the job without fear of retaliation. And when our state employees are supported, the schools, services, and institutions every Marylander depends on are stronger too.”
AFT Maryland represents workers across state agencies, nurses and state healthcare professionals, and faculty and staff at the Maryland School for the Deaf. All of our members represented at these agencies will benefit by the passage of Question 1.
Question 3: Standing Up for Fair Representation
Congressional maps are normally redrawn once every ten years, after the census. Over the past year, several Republican-led states redrew their maps in the middle of the decade, at the President’s urging, to gain an edge in Congress.
Almost 60 percent of Maryland voters approved Question 3. It amends the state constitution so that its map-drawing requirements, such as keeping districts compact and connected, apply only to state legislative districts and not to congressional districts. It also gives the Supreme Court of Maryland the power to review any new congressional map directly. Question 3 doesn’t redraw any districts by itself. Any new map would still have to go through the General Assembly, and the change won’t apply before the 2028 election.
Statement from AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell
“Our communities have felt the direct impacts of the federal government’s attacks on workers, schools, healthcare, and so much more. And as states across this country have sought to rewrite Congressional maps to bolster the ability for continued federal government overreach in our communities, Marylanders have stood up for every American who has watched their voice be stripped away.
“Voters, not politicians, should be the ones choosing who represents them in Congress, and Maryland can now be in the fight to ensure that the attacks we have seen do not continue in the face of unprecedented mid-decade redistricting efforts. We hope the action we’ve taken here brings all states to the table to resolve this issue once and for all, so every American can have a real voice in their democracy.”
2026-11-06 AFT Maryland staff