AFT-Maryland

Resources on COVID-19

AFT and AFT-Maryland are focused on the health and safety of our members and communities. Members can stay connected with information and obtain resources by by calling AFT's outbreak line at 800-900-2343 or by sending an email to outbreak@aft.org.

Below is a list of resources on the web for members and community as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, including links to the US CDC, Maryland Dept. of Health, AFT National's links for Nurses & Health Professionals, Public Employees, Educators & School Support Staff, and Higher Ed Faculty & Staff. There are also links to the AFL-CIO's resources, Union Plus hardship help, OSHA, and the WHO. Click through to read more.

Visit the Political Hub

The political season is well underway, and your union is busy providing services that will make it easier for members to participate in our democracy. AFT-Maryland's Political Hub is a one-stop web hub for members that can help you find information to register to vote, identify your representatives in state and local government, keep abreast of legislation in Annapolis that affects your work, identify various candidates running for office, understand the AFL-CIO endorsement process, and much more.

AFT-Maryland at Workers First Caravan

The challenges of COVID-19 have altered a number of normal routines and activities. The need to alter isn’t the same as canceling however, and unions have demonstrated that better than perhaps anyone. Ordinarily, if there was important legislation that affected union households, union activists would flood Capitol Hill to agitate for their issues. The mandates for social distancing created by the ongoing global pandemic meant that labor had to be creative in how they lobbied; and creative labor was with a mass worker caravan circling through downtown Washington, DC and the U.S. Capitol complex.

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Statement on the Deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd

The past week and a half has been perhaps the most challenging time for the United States in the 21st century. The high profile deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd (two of which we witnessed the heartbreaking video) has awakened a deep sense of unequal treatment of Black Americans by police and white vigilantes. This has led to protests and rebellions across the country where a number of police departments have responded brutally to journalists and protesters ironically protesting police brutality.

The wake of this has brought on rebellions and uprisings reminiscent of the long hot summer of 1968. Many historians direct our attention to the race riots of 1919 as a more apt comparison. Locally, we don't even have to go that far back. We vividly remember the 2015 uprisings in response to the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. Unequal treatment of Black people by law enforcement is abhorrent and must end if this nation is to live up to the full promise of its words. Dr. King reminds us that "a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?"

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AFT-Maryland Partners with National Federation for PPE

Public employees make up many of the essential workers throughout Maryland working on the front lines during this pandemic. They continue to show up and do their jobs to help cities, counties, and the state maintain some semblance of normalcy during this difficult and unusual time. Just because someone is a hero at work, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be well protected.

Tell your Senators: Don't Forfeit Our Future

Across the state, Marylanders have made significant sacrifices in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic. As public employees, health care professionals, and education professionals, you know how vital and essential the public sector is to Maryland.