Employees at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to unionize, the culmination of a more than two-year organizing effort that required a change in state law.

One unit consisting of administrative and support staff voted 45-1 to make the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland Council 3its exclusive bargaining representative. Meanwhile, another unit covering assistant public defenders, intake staff, social workers and investigators voted 233-8 in favor of a union.

“This is a big win for OPD workers who have been fighting to have their voices heard and respected in their workplaces. Now, they join AFSCME members across the state who enjoy the benefits of their collective bargaining agreements,” said Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, which represents almost 30,000 state government and higher education employees, in a statement.

“Together, we will continue to organize for the pay, respect and better working conditions every state worker deserves,” he added.

The Maryland Defenders Union formed in 2020 seeking improvements in workload, pay and retention and represents more than 600 employees across the state.

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