Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Unions
On May 3, 2012, Joel Smith appeared before the Court of Appeals on behalf of a coalition of Anne Arundel County public safety unions.
Joel argued that a 2011 bill passed by the Anne Arundel County Council and signed by the County Executive was in clear violation of a 2002 Amendment to the Anne Arundel County Charter. The Amendment mandated binding interest arbitration to resolve disputes concerning terms and conditions of employment for certain public safety employees. In an opinion dated September 28, 2012, the Court agreed. The Court concluded that the 2002 Amendment and its implementing legislation were entirely lawful. The 2011 bill was unlawful. The opinion settles thirty-five years of case law on the issue.
This is an important win for public employees across the State of Maryland.
When voters go to the polls on Nov. 6, they'll choose from among presidential candidates who have very different views on the major issues affecting America, including education. With the election rapidly approaching, eSchool News has pulled together a summary of what each of the two major party candidates - - President Barack Obama for the Democratic Party, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican Party - - have said about their plans for K-12 education.
AFT-Maryland is proud to be one of the Partners in the Maryland Voter Registration & Get Out The Vote Coalition. Other partners include AFT, AFSCME Maryland, Baltimore Teachers Union, MD/DC AFL-CIO, NAACP Baltimore & Maryland, and many more.
