Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor and City Council Member Angela Blake have each sounded off after the Salisbury City Council’s vote to end the city’s collective bargaining agreement at a May 26 legislative session.
The measure to repeal Article XXIII of the City Charter, therefore “abrogating all collective bargaining,” was passed 3-2, with April Jackson, Sharon Dashiell and Melissa Holland voting to eliminate collective bargaining, and council members Michele Gregory and Angela Blake voting against the resolution.
Here’s what Taylor and then Blake had to say in letters sent to Delmarva Now.
City Councilwoman Angela Blake, District 5, and Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor.
ORIGINAL STORY ON VOTE: Salisbury council ends collective bargaining at contentious session
Mayor Taylor’s open letter on end of collective bargaining agreement
Dear residents and employees,
I am writing to you following the recent City Council vote regarding collective bargaining and the decision to discontinue the current union arrangement. This was not an easy decision, and it was made only after careful deliberation, extensive review, and a sincere commitment to the long-term financial well-being of both our employees and our community.
First and foremost, I want to be clear: our city deeply values its employees. The men and women who serve our community every day across all departments are the backbone of our local government. Your dedication, professionalism and commitment to public service do not go unnoticed, and they remain essential to the success of our city.
At the same time, we are entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining a fiscally sustainable government that serves all residents. Over time, the financial costs associated with the current union agreement, including rising expenses and legal complexities, have followed a trajectory that is no longer financially sustainable. Continuing along this path would have placed increasing strain on our ability to maintain services, invest in infrastructure, and support our workforce in a balanced and responsible way.
The Council’s decision reflects the difficult but necessary step of addressing these realities now, rather than allowing challenges to grow unchecked in the future. It is not a reflection of the value of our employees, but rather a recognition that the structure we had in place was no longer viable for the long term.
Now, we move forward.
This moment offers an opportunity to return to open, honest, and constructive dialogue — one that fosters mutual respect, transparency, and shared understanding between staff and management. Our goal is to build a workplace environment where the needs of our employees are acknowledged and respected, while also ensuring that financial limitations are clearly understood and responsibly managed.
The Mayor’s Office is committed to engaging directly with employees to help shape this next chapter together. That means listening carefully, communicating openly, and working collaboratively to find solutions that honor both the people who serve our City and the fiscal responsibility owed to its residents.
Change can be challenging, but it can also lead to renewed partnership and stronger alignment. I am confident that, together, we can create a path forward that reflects our shared values: respect, accountability, and stewardship.
Thank you for your continued service, your dedication, and your commitment to our community.
If you’d like to learn more about collective bargaining, we’ve developed a webpage featuring informative PowerPoint presentations and frequently asked questions. You can find more information by visiting our website at: https://salisbury.md/?p=55040.
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‘Collective bargaining was never the problem’
The Salisbury City Council meets in its May 26, 2026, legislative session.
Council Member Blake sent this response to Delmarva Now:
In his recent letter to employees and residents, Mayor Taylor described the City Council’s decision to dismantle collective bargaining as a difficult but necessary step to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Fiscal responsibility is important. Every resident wants a financially stable city government. However, many employees and residents remain unconvinced that eliminating collective bargaining was either necessary or justified.
The central question remains unanswered: Where is the evidence?
The public has not been provided with a detailed analysis demonstrating that collective bargaining itself caused the city’s budget challenges. Residents have not seen projections comparing the costs of maintaining collective bargaining with the costs of employee turnover, recruitment, training, lost productivity, and the loss of institutional knowledge that often follows workforce instability.
Collective bargaining is not simply about wages or benefits. It provides employees with a structured process to address workplace concerns, safety issues, disciplinary matters, working conditions, and employee rights. It creates a formal seat at the table for the people who deliver city services every day.
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Collective bargaining has served as a mechanism for collaboration between employees and management. It’s designed to create dialogue, not conflict. Employees closest to the work often possess valuable insight into efficiency, operations, safety, and service delivery. Their voices strengthen organizations and help identify solutions before problems become crises.
Supporters believe it contributes to employee retention and recruitment, workplace stability and morale, fair dispute resolution, safer working conditions, consistent communication, protection against arbitrary personnel decisions, and preservation of institutional knowledge and experience.
The mayor’s letter speaks of returning to “open, honest and constructive dialogue.? That sounds admirable. But many employees are asking a simple question. If open dialogue is the goal, why eliminate the very structure that guaranteed employees a voice in that dialogue.
Fiscal responsibility and collective bargaining are not mutually exclusive. Cities throughout Maryland and across the nation successfully manage budgets while maintaining collective bargaining agreements. The issue has never been whether employees deserve a voice. The issue is whether leadership is willing to work with employees to solve challenges together.
Reasonable people can disagree about policy. But when a right is removed, employees and residents deserve more than assurances. They deserve evidence, transparency, and a full public discussion.
The conversation about collective bargaining may have ended with a vote, but the larger conversation about worker voice, public trust, and Salisbury’s future workforce is far from over. Petition efforts are already underway to place the issue before voters in the next city election. Through public dialogue, citizen action, or the ballot box, residents are making it clear they want their voices heard.
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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Salisbury mayor, council member sound off on end of union agreement
