Maryland Governor Wes Moore is building a national political profile with an eye toward 2028, but the path is being blocked by a growing rift with organized labor in his own backyard. Union officials tell a consistent story: Moore talks the talk with labor leaders, but when the cameras are off, the follow-through falters and his administration can be difficult to work with.
The Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO declined to endorse Moore's reelection campaign this year, a sharp reversal from their backing in 2022. The group's president, Donna Edwards, said Moore's team never returned a required endorsement questionnaire. But sources close to the situation indicate the real problem runs deeper: at the group's spring meeting, nobody spoke up in defense of the governor.
This month, food service workers at Baltimore/Washington International Airport launched a "Poor Because of Moore" campaign, arguing the governor has left them behind in their fight for better wages. Tracy Lingo, vice president of the state AFL-CIO and leader of Unite Here Local 7, which represents those workers, pulled no punches. "He's been pretty antagonistic," Lingo said, questioning whether Moore simply doesn't care about workers or is too focused on his presidential ambitions to govern effectively.
One state labor leader was even blunter. "He's been godawful," the official said, citing both poor political instincts and a dysfunctional administration. Multiple union officials report difficulty reaching the governor's team, including Dyana Forester, Moore's senior director of labor relations.
The tensions extend across multiple fronts. Building trades unions are frustrated over ambiguity surrounding whether the Francis Scott Key Bridge will be rebuilt with a project labor agreement, which unions strongly prefer. Meanwhile, AFSCME Maryland Council 3, representing public service workers, blew past a December deadline without reaching a salary agreement with the Moore administration. The union rejected the state's wage proposal as insufficient.
Not every union has abandoned Moore. The firefighters union, the Maryland State Education Association, and others have endorsed his reelection. Jeff Buddle of the Professional Fire Fighters of Maryland said labor has achieved more under Moore than under recent predecessors. The Moore administration points to raising Maryland's minimum wage to $15 ahead of schedule and boosting state employee pay as proof of its pro-worker record.
For a governor eyeing a presidential run, the labor problem carries real weight. Organized labor remains a cornerstone of Democratic power, and union leaders in competitive early primary states maintain close ties to their Maryland counterparts. A strained relationship at home could create obstacles on the national stage.
Some bad blood appears to trace back to the 2022 gubernatorial primary, when most state unions endorsed Tom Perez, the former U.S. labor secretary under President Obama, over Moore. While Moore has since improved relations with some unions that backed Perez, including SEIU Local 500, friction persists on both sides.
Moore's spokesman, Ammar Moussa, defended the administration's labor record. "We have worked closely with organized labor since day one to improve wages, strengthen workplace protections, expand collective bargaining rights," he said. Moussa acknowledged disagreements with various stakeholders but stressed the administration's commitment to good-faith negotiation and responsible governing.
Raymond Jackson, a vice president of the state AFL-CIO and president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, offered a more patient take. He urged unions to remember that Moore inherited problems from Republican predecessor Larry Hogan and needs time to fix them. "We just need to be patient," Jackson said.
Author James Rodriguez: "Moore's scripted support for labor rings hollow when his team can't be bothered to return a questionnaire or fix a broken relationship."
Comments