Section 23-908 - Collective bargaining agreement(a) If an employee organization is certified as described in this subtitle, the employer and the employee organization shall enter into a collective bargaining agreement that contains provisions regarding: (1) Wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment;(2) The orderly processing and settlement of grievances regarding the interpretation and implementation of the collective bargaining agreement that culminate in final and binding arbitration; and(3) Other topics that the parties may mutually agree to that were suitable for bargaining.(b)(1) The employer automatically shall deduct from the paycheck of an employee who is a member of the bargaining unit represented by the certified exclusive representative dues authorized and owed by the employee to the certified exclusive representative if the employee submits to the employer a dues deduction authorization that has been duly executed by the employee.(2) Any dues deducted from paychecks under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be remitted to the certified exclusive representative.(3) The employer automatically shall stop making payroll deductions under paragraph (1) of this subsection on behalf of a certified exclusive representative if: (i) The certified exclusive representative is decertified;(ii) The certified exclusive representative's right to dues is revoked under § 23-913(d)(3) of this subtitle;(iii) The employee ceases to be a member of the bargaining unit represented by the certified exclusive representative; or(iv) Subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, the employee revokes the authorization for payments to the exclusive representative in accordance with the procedures provided in a dues deduction authorization.(4) The procedures provided in a dues deduction authorization utilized under this subsection shall allow for a revocation of the authorization for payments to the exclusive representative at least annually.(c) This section may not be construed to: (1) Authorize or otherwise allow an employee to engage in a strike or work stoppage, as those terms are defined in § 23-913 of this subtitle; or(2) Restrict the authority of the funding body of the applicable county to determine the budget of the employer.(d)(1) A collective bargaining agreement entered into under subsection (a) of this section shall be effective on ratification by the majority of votes cast by the employees in the bargaining unit and approval by the director and the employer.(2) A single-year or multiyear collective bargaining agreement shall expire at the close of the county's fiscal year.Added by 2024 Md. Laws, Ch. 132,Sec. 2, eff. 7/1/2024.