Tension with unions shadow Moore's run-up to 2028

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, positioning himself as a potential twenty twenty-eight presidential candidate, is facing increasing friction with organized labor over what unions say is a gap between his pro-worker rhetoric and his actions. According to Axios, the Maryland AFL-CIO declined to endorse his reelection after backing him in twenty twenty-two, while airport food service workers launched a campaign called 'Poor Because of Moore,' citing wage negotiations that stalled. Union leaders say Moore's administration has been hard to reach and even antagonistic at times. Specific disputes include lack of clarity on whether the Francis Scott Key Bridge will be rebuilt with a project labor agreement unions favor, and a failed salary negotiation with state public service workers. Moore's team counters that his administration has raised Maryland's minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour and boosted state employee pay. Labor's influential role in the Democratic coalition means these tensions could complicate any presidential ambitions.

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