John Kilker

Performs a full scope of work in organized labor, including organizing, negotiating, and representing members primarily in the public sector of municipal and county governments across the State of Maryland.

• Served as the lead negotiator for UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO in collective bargaining negotiations for various contracts in both the private and public sector, including contractors and non-profit organizations.
• Currently represents primarily public sector employees across the State of Maryland and across a variety of job classification/fields, including public librarians, environmental protection, procurement, finance, health and safety compliance, human rights investigators, recreations, emergency management and homeland security.
• Has an in depth knowledge and practical experience with Federal, State, and Local laws/regulations across a variety of areas including labor/employment, workplace health and safety, and non-discrimination.

In addition, I oversee the local Union's political field program and our legislative activity in legislatures across Maryland including various municipalities, counties and at the Maryland General Assembly.

• Drafted and advocated for legislation that expanded collective bargaining rights in Maryland and granted the right to collective bargain for employees of the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office, public librarians across the State of Maryland, and the City of Laurel.
• Submitted written and oral testimony to the Maryland General Assembly for a variety of legislation on behalf of working families across the State of Maryland, including subjects such as tenants rights, collective bargaining rights, and health and safety standards.
• Oversaw the local Union's labor-to-labor political field campaign in the 2022 Gubernatorial Election, 2023 Municipal Elections, and the 2024 Presidential Elections. In our 2022 field program, I oversaw a full-time staff of approximately 20 canvassers and hundreds of additional volunteers. This field program knocked on more doors than every other labor organization in the State of Maryland combined.
• Provides detailed analysis of individual political campaigns for use in strategy and endorsement decisions using polling publicly available and independent polling, campaign finance data and a variety of other resources.

• Performed duties as a frontline member of the Union's 2020 Presidential Election political field program including, canvassing, phone-banking, and organizing volunteers.
• Did detailed research to compile and analyze the variety of public sector labor laws across all of Maryland agencies, municipalities, cities, and counties. (I would later use this research to help pass legislation to expand collective bargaining rights across the State of Maryland)