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ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor S.B. 348
spending for the forthcoming fiscal year. The Governor's budget, including the
amount available for employee compensation, is dependent on the receipt of these
recommendations.
The process created by Senate Bill 348 requires that negotiations be completed before
the information about resources and the expected limits on State spending are
available. Under the bill, agreement would be required by October 25, almost 6 weeks
before the necessary information is available. The fact finder's recommendations are
to be made in writing before November 20, several weeks before revenue estimates
and the Spending Affordability recommendations are available. The fact finder,
unlike both the Governor and the General Assembly, will have no restraints in finding
facts or making recommendations and will not have the facts about the State's fiscal
condition or outlook.
The bill also authorizes the fact finder to issue subpoenas. Under the bill, the fact
finder is not authorized to enforce the subpoenas and judicial action would be
required. Since there is a likelihood that 5 fact finders could be appointed and that
multiple subpoenas could be issued by each of the 5 fact finders, the State would need
to increase significantly the resources dedicated to collective bargaining. This aspect
of the bill, like others referenced above, assures that the State employee collective
bargaining process will be litigious and expensive.
The bill also changes the composition of the State Labor Relations Board. The
composition would be less conducive to impartial determinations because the bill
requires that two of the members be nominated by the exclusive bargaining
representatives. The change in the composition of the Board will make the Board less
accountable to the taxpayers of Maryland and more accountable to the unions.
This bill will imperil State employee privacy and safety, encourage identity theft of
State employees, significantly and adversely change the relationships between
management and employees, and increase the costs and the bureaucracy relating to
the collective bargaining process.
For the above stated reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill 348.
Very truly yours,
Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Governor
Senate Bill No. 348
AN ACT concerning
State Personnel - Collective Bargaining - Revisions
FOR the purpose of altering certain provisions of law governing collective bargaining
for certain State employees and certain employees of State institutions of higher
education; specifying that provisions of this Act may not limit or interfere with
certain powers of the Governor; specifying that the State Labor Relations Board
is an independent unit of State government; altering the membership of the
Board; requiring that the Board elect a chairman from among its members;
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