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AFT-Maryland Welcomes PSRPs to Baltimore for Annual Conference

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The Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP) division of the AFT is filled with labor activists and leaders who give their all for students and families while helping shape the school community. Across the country, PSRPs do a number of jobs including but not limited to cafeteria workers, janitors, facility managers, office staff, and paraeducators. A collection of those activists came from across the nation to Baltimore, Maryland for the 2023 AFT PSRP Conference.  CLICK THROUGH TO READ > > > MORE

City Union of Baltimore Fights to Keep Workers Safe When City Won’t

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In the face of unsafe working conditions for Baltimore city workers, the City Union of Baltimore has persistently advocated for city workers’ health and safety. CUB is raising awareness about workplace safety and workers' rights to refuse dangerous work. We are taking direct action, meeting members at their worksites, and distributing information about safety at work, as well as workers’ rights to refuse dangerous work.

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Labor Stands Strong in Annapolis

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The pandemic caused a shift in the way quite a bit of legislative business was handled. Some of those changes have outlived the social distancing guidance that dictated how we did business. That includes virtual testimony, zoom meetings, and live streaming of in-person events. One event that returned with a force as strong as it was pre-pandemic was the Metro Baltimore Council AFL-CIO labor rally, held on Lawyers Mall in front of the Maryland State House in Annapolis.  The annual event is a show of solidarity among labor as unions collectively flex their strength and call on state legislators to pass bills that support working people and their families. As AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell reminded the audience “labor power definitely works.” Click for more photos and to read > > >

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AFT-Maryland and IAM Hold Collective Bargaining Press Conference

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The race to the end of Maryland’s Legislative session is in full speed, but that hasn’t stopped AFT-Maryland from pushing for expanded collective bargaining for higher education workers at Maryland public institutions. The bill that would do that (HB275/SB274) is held up in the Senate Finance Committee, as is HB65, a bill granting collective bargaining to Maryland public library workers. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) collaborated with AFT-Maryland for a joint press conference urging the Senate Finance Committee to move those bills out of committee so public employees in libraries and state higher education institutions can have the right to choose collective bargaining.  CLICK THROUGH TO READ > > > MORE

Stewardship Training: Helping Stewards Make a Difference

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Stewards are the lifeblood of any union. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that unions offer training to continue to develop and strengthen their stewards. The Maryland Professional Employees Council Local 6197 (MPEC) hosted their stewards for training on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. The training covered a wide range of topics, informing those in attendance of the responsibilities of stewards.

Read more about the event on MPEC's website.

AFT Visits Wolfe Street Academy

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Community schools provide wrap-around services that help close the gap between students' needs and their ability to focus on school and learning. Baltimore is fortunate to have a number of community schools that serve students and families as well as the communities the schools are in. One of those schools is Wolfe Street Academy, a school that went from a low-ranking status several years ago to top-ranking, going remarkably from the 77th rank elementary school to the 2nd in the span of a decade. The school was the site of a visit from AFT President Randi Weingarten. She was joined on the visit by AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell and Baltimore Teachers Union President Diamonté Brown. CLICK TO READ > > > MORE