Following the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, communities and legislatures across the country are trying to develop ways to ensure student and teacher safety in the school building. One suggestion brought forth in the Maryland House of Delegates was a bill allowing teachers and educational staff to be armed.
Karen Heppner has demonstrated the type of leadership and activism that would make any union member proud. She has been a registered nurse working for the state of Maryland at the Eastern Shore Hospital Center for over 20 years. When the state refused to pay the negotiated retention bonus to nurses at her facility, she led the fight to force management to honor the contract. She organized nurses at her facility, where a class action complaint was filed, which led to a decision in the union’s favor from an independent arbitrator.
Tiffany Walker is employed with the City of Baltimore as Community Liaison I with the Department of Public Works. Mrs. Walker was elected as Secretary for CUB in October 2010. She served two terms before being elected Executive Vice President in October 2016. She has since moved to working as a CUB Labor Relations Specialist to better serve the membership. Tiffany has always been active within the union serving as a delegate as well as on several committees such as the COPE, Personnel, Social, and Constitution and By-laws committees. She was chairperson of the COPE committee and has remained active on this committee to this day.
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AFT-Maryland rallied with the national AFT office and a host of activists as the Supreme Court heard opening arguments in the Janus v. AFSCME 31 case.
BCFPE President, John Ripley, was in Annapolis lobbying for members of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees. He testified to different Senate and House committees and held conversations with state leaders all for the benefit of county public employees.
The City Union of Baltimore’s executive board as well as leadership from the CUB Retiree chapter met for an organizing training. Much of the organizing was gearing up for the expected verdict once the Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 case is decided.