Welcome back!
I hope your holiday season was restful and fun-filled. Our affiliates and staff are back at work also and are determined to make 2010 a productive year for our union members.The following are brief reports on the activities of our AFT-Maryland affiliates:
Baltimore Teachers Union—The BTU Civil, Human, and Women's Rights Committee invites all BTU members to attend the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast will be held Saturday, January 23, 2010, at 8:30 a,m, at the BTU office, 5800 Metro Drive in Baltimore, Second Floor. January 29-30, 2010, the 23rd Annual Paraprofessional Educational Conference will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center. This year's conference theme is "Paraprofessionals Meeting Reform Challenges Today in Education." All Baltimore City Public School System paraprofessional educators are encouraged to attend. For information on these events, contact BTU at 410-358-6600.
City Union of Baltimore—CUB President Brenda Clayburn has been named a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Legacy Award. The award is bestowed on those who are recognized for superior community service by the NAACP. President Clayburn was specifically honored for her work with the Baltimore City Police Department and the Druid Park Drive Community Association. Clayburn received the award last year during the 2009 NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet.
Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees—BCFPE President John Ripley continues to fight for the 2 percent COLA increase that was budgeted by Baltimore County, but that still is being withheld from Pay Schedule I employees. President Ripley reminds his members that the union is working to get all 1,700 Pay Schedule I employees their past due COLA increases. Last year, the BCFPE Negotiations Committee accepted the 2 percent COLA, but rejected what the union deemed a baseless "take-back" of a twenty-year-old provision that union members considered a hard-won right. The union stands ready to address any legitimate concerns the county has regarding the provision, President Ripley says, but, for the good of all employees, the baseless take-back of this provision or any other will not be accepted.
Maryland Professional Employees Council— George Myers retained his position as MPEC President as a result of the elections held December 17th, 2009. Jim Dooley was elected Treasurer and Virginina (Ginny) Walsh was elected Chief Steward. John Wilson was elected Eastern Regional Vice President, Maria Mathias, Central Region Vice President, and William Wailing was elected Western Region Vice President.
Let's make this a productive and successful New Union Year!
