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BTU Retiree Officers Sworn In

The Baltimore Teachers Union  Retiree Chapter (BTU 340R) recently had newly elected executive board members sworn in to office. These officers represent the retirees’ interests in a number of different capacities. Our retirees are among the state federation’s most loyal and consistent volunteers for community outreach efforts, phone banking in support of union-endorsed candidates, and lobbying in Annapolis and in Baltimore city.

Velma Hicks was re-elected to president, while Thomas Frazier will serve as vice president. The secretary is Geneva Harris, while Blanch Morgan III is the treasurer. Oz

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AFT-Maryland Back to School Event

When the community calls, AFT-Maryland answers. This was the case when the state federation joined former Delegate Bilal Ali and a host of west Baltimore community members for a back-to-school family fun day. The event took place at Warwick Park and featured a number of fun and exciting activities for the children. The highlight was a backpack giveaway that also came with school supplies to get young people ready for the upcoming school year. Additionally, there were visits from Baltimore elected officials including Mayor Jack Young, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, Councilman John Bullock, and

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BTU New Teacher Steering Meeting

With the school year underway, educators in Baltimore city eagerly welcomed their students back to school. For new educators, the first week was an opportunity to get themselves acquainted with the daily mechanics of the school and the students. The advice and preparation from others were now to be put into practice. After the first week, the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) gathered the New Teachers Steering Committee for a brunch to goal-set the committee’s objectives for the upcoming school year.  

BTU field representative Cindy Sjoquist organized the gathering at Baltimore’s Dovecote Cafe

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Sen. Guzzone & Del. Hill Visit Perkins

Healthcare professionals at Clifton T. Perkins turned to their union when they wanted changes at their facility. Their union, AFT Healthcare-Maryland, hearing the demand from members, arranged a meeting with state legislative leaders so they could hear from our members just what was going on in their districts. State Senator Guy Guzzone and Delegate Terri Hill met with AFT Healthcare-Maryland members at Perkins Hospital Center. Del. Hill shares quite a bit in common with the members at the facility, as she is also a trained medical professional. Her knowledge led to a robust conversation

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Statement on Gun Violence in Texas and Ohio

STATEMENT FROM AFT-MARYLAND PRESIDENT MARIETTA ENGLISH
ON THE RECENT MASS SHOOTINGS IN TEXAS AND OHIO

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"62648","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 45%; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px; float: right;"}}]]Over the weekend, the nation once again witnessed violence in its worst form: mass shootings that took the lives of nearly 30 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. These shootings are again abhorrent and represent the worst in human behavior. They demonstrate that too many Americans use violence as the language with which they communicate. While we are still waiting for a motive in the Dayton shooting, we know the violence in El Paso was motivated by white supremacist xenophobia and ethnic hatred. We also know the shooter was inspired by the words and behavior of our president. White supremacist violence has long haunted many Americans and has resulted in the death of too many black and brown people.

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AFT-Maryland COPE Meeting held

AFT-Maryland convened the state federation’s political committee to discuss and prepare for the upcoming 2020 elections. In compliance with all federal labor laws, no members’ dues are used for electoral politics. Instead, the Committee On Political Education (COPE) raises funds from member contributions outside of dues, dedicated explicitly to and for use in political candidate campaigns.

The locals represented at the meeting were the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees (BCFPE), AFT Healthcare MD (AFTHCMD), and the City Union of Baltimore (CUB). Leaders from those locals discussed

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