There is no stronger power than labor power and faculty at Howard Community College are flexing that muscle. Tuesday, January 30, 2024 kicked off the first day of bargaining for full time faculty with the institution. Prior to heading into the bargaining session, the bargaining team rallied with fellow full time faculty union members, AFT Maryland President, Kenya Campbell, and AFT Maryland staff. Faculty addressed the crowd and rallied in support of the team as they headed into the first negotiation session. The faculty in attendance were supportive and eager to let their voices be heard through collective bargaining.

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Unionization is on the rise at higher education campuses across Maryland. Following successful organizing drives at Howard and Frederick Community Colleges, AFT Maryland is working to successfully unionize full time faculty and information technology staff at Prince George’s Community College. A highlight of the organizing efforts was Union Authorization Card Day. This daylong event on Thursday January 18, 2024 (scheduled for two days, but inclement weather canceled the second day’s activities) featured workers at the college signing union authorization cards indicating their desire to form a union and collectively bargain. 

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Shop stewards are the backbone of any labor union and necessary for the union to wield the power in the workplace that members deserve. Knowing that, AFT-Maryland convened a statewide training for   public employee stewards to equip them with the skills and resources they need to help their colleagues as best as possible. Members from across the state, working in diverse industries from higher education professionals to correctional staff, came to Baltimore for the day-long training.

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Baltimore City Public School System is taking action to address the climate crisis. The system is among the first in the state unveiling their new fleet of electric school buses in a press conference and ribbon cutting ceremony on January 30, 2024. The event featured BCPSS CEO Dr. Sonia Santelises and federal officials from the EPA and Vice-President Harris’s office discussing the impact this fleet will have on students, families, and communities. AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell and City Union of Baltimore (CUB) local 800 President Antoinette Ryan-Johnson were also on hand as the new fleet of buses will involve federation members from the Baltimore Teachers Union local 340, and from CUB. 

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It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share that Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Emeritus Ernie Grecco has passed. Ernie was a lifelong champion for labor and particularly for public employees. He was a strong advocate for AFT-Maryland and offered the full support of the council to the state federation at every turn. He was a kind, engaging, and affable leader who greeted everyone he met with a warm smile and playful joke.

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Happy Lunar New Year! The Lunar New Year gives us an opportunity to highlight the rich cultural heritage of many of our members. Historically, these foundations are celebrated largely in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and other Asian cultures. There are many overlapping ideals and values of the Lunar New Year celebration that are bedrocks of the labor movement. It is for that reason we pause to reflect, acknowledge, and celebrate the Year of the Dragon, the 2024 Lunar New Year.

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