The RBT Strike in Maryland: Why It Matters for Every Behavior Analyst

What Is Happening in Rockville, Maryland?

On July 20, 2026, thirty-three registered behavior technicians at Verbal Beginnings in Rockville, Maryland, walked off the job. Represented by Teamsters Local 639, these RBTs launched a strike after months of failed negotiations for their first collective bargaining agreement.

The workers provide early intervention and specialized services for young children on the autism spectrum. They are not striking because they want to leave the field — they are striking because they want to stay in it and still be able to make a living.

Why Are They Striking?

The core issues boil down to two demands that most working people would consider reasonable:

Fair Wages

RBTs at Verbal Beginnings work in Montgomery County, one of the most expensive areas in Maryland. Despite the highly specialized nature of their clinical work — implementing behavior intervention plans, collecting data in real time, managing challenging behaviors — many report that their pay does not reflect the skill or emotional toll the job demands.

Nationally, RBT salaries in Maryland range from roughly $41,000 to $68,000 per year. But averages mask reality. Entry-level RBTs — especially those working in in-home or center-based settings without a guaranteed 40-hour schedule — often fall well below a livable wage for the D.C. metro area.

Protecting the 40-Hour Work Week

A major flashpoint in negotiations is Verbal Beginnings' proposal to eliminate the 40-hour work week. In an industry already defined by inconsistent hours — where a canceled client session can mean a canceled paycheck — this move would push RBTs further into financial instability.

For workers already living session to session, removing the guarantee of full-time hours is not a scheduling adjustment. It is a pay cut.

This Is Not an Isolated Incident

The Verbal Beginnings strike did not happen in a vacuum. It is part of a growing wave of labor organizing across the ABA industry:

• In March 2026, RBTs at Golden Steps ABA in Towson, Maryland, voted to join UFCW Local 27 after raising concerns about pay, benefits, and workplace policies — despite an aggressive anti-union campaign from management.
• The ABA Workers' Union has supported organizing efforts at six clinics nationwide, advocating for living wages, safe staffing, predictable schedules, and professional dignity.
• Across the country, RBTs and BCBAs alike are speaking publicly about an industry where annual turnover rates reach 30 to 80 percent — a crisis that directly harms the children and families the field is meant to serve.

William Davis, President of Teamsters Local 639, put it plainly: "These workers provide essential services to the most vulnerable members of our community. They deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and sacrifice."

Why This Matters for the Entire ABA Field

If you are studying for your BCBA, BCaBA, or RBT certification — or if you already hold one — this strike is directly relevant to your career. Here is why.

Turnover Hurts Clients

ABA is built on consistency. Progress depends on a stable therapeutic relationship between the technician and the child. When an RBT leaves because they cannot afford rent, the child does not just lose a therapist — they lose weeks or months of progress while a replacement is trained, paired, and brought up to speed.

High turnover is not just a workforce problem. It is a clinical quality problem.

The Pipeline Is at Risk

The ABA field is growing rapidly. Demand for autism services has surged, and new clinics are opening across the country. But if the people doing the frontline work cannot earn a sustainable living, the pipeline dries up. Fewer people will pursue RBT certification. Fewer RBTs will stay long enough to become BCBAs. The entire career ladder is built on a foundation that is cracking.

Ethics Demand Fair Treatment

The BACB's ethics code calls on behavior analysts to promote the well-being of those they serve. But it is impossible to provide quality, ethical services when the workforce delivering those services is financially precarious, burned out, or constantly turning over.

Supporting fair working conditions for RBTs is not a political stance — it is an ethical one.

What You Can Do

You do not have to be in Maryland to care about this. Here are concrete steps:

• Educate yourself. Read the Teamsters' official statement and the ABA Workers' Union resources to understand the systemic issues at play.
• Talk about it. Share this story with classmates, colleagues, and supervisors. Labor issues in ABA rarely get the visibility they deserve.
• Advocate within your organization. Whether you are an RBT, a BCBA, or a clinic owner, push for transparent pay, predictable schedules, and benefits that treat frontline workers as professionals — not disposable labor.
• Support RBTs on your team. If you supervise RBTs, be an advocate for their compensation and working conditions. The data are clear: clinics that invest in their RBTs see lower turnover, better client outcomes, and stronger organizational health.

The Bigger Picture

The RBT strike at Verbal Beginnings is a symptom of a much larger problem. The ABA industry has experienced explosive growth — fueled by insurance mandates, private equity investment, and rising autism diagnoses — but too little of that growth has reached the workers who actually deliver services.

This is a field that asks its frontline employees to manage aggressive behaviors, implement precise clinical protocols, document everything in real time, and build meaningful relationships with children — all for wages that often qualify them for public assistance.

Something has to change. And right now, thirty-three workers in Rockville, Maryland, are standing on a picket line to prove it.

Keep Learning, Keep Growing

Whether you are preparing for the RBT exam, studying for the BCBA, or already practicing in the field, staying informed about the industry you work in matters. The ABA Study Companion is here to help you build the knowledge and confidence to not just pass your certification exam, but to enter the field as an informed, ethical professional.

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