State Personnel - BWI Airport Fire and Rescue Department - Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Processes

HB 599 modifies collective bargaining rules for uniformed fire employees at the BWI Airport Fire and Rescue Department. It requires the State and union to reach a new agreement by September 30 before a contract expires, instead of the standard January 1 deadline for other state employees. If negotiations reach an impasse by October 1, the parties must submit final offers within 48 hours and select a binding arbitrator from the American Arbitration Association’s labor panel within five business days. The bill replaces the standard fact-finder process for this department with mandatory binding arbitration to resolve disputes.