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Rain may have canceled Wolfe Street Academy’s Wolfe Fest, but it was not going to stop AFT-Maryland from distributing books to students as a part of the Reading Opens the World program. The state federation joined the south Baltimore school for their Family Social Studies Night. The event brought families into the school to inform parents about the curriculum students are learning. The night also served as a great way to connect the Wolfe Street school community with the larger south Baltimore community. Students presented displays of their work as well as made videos that families and loved ones watched demonstrating what they’ve learned in Social Studies this school year. AFT-Maryland was on hand with a beautiful display of books for families to take home.  CLICK TO READ > > > MORE
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The 2023 Maryland legislative session held much promise following the tireless get out the vote efforts of AFT-Maryland and our AFL-CIO affiliates. Our dogged canvassing and all-hands-on-deck effort during the 2022 election bore fruit during the legislative session. Following the inauguration of the first African-American Governor in Maryland’s history and newly elected state Delegates and Senators taking their seats, AFT-Maryland got down to business. Despite the amount of turnover heading into the session, one thing remained true: AFT-Maryland would fight for our 18,000 members. And fight we did, racking up impressive wins and commanding the attention of political leaders across the state.  The following bills passed both houses and have been signed or are currently awaiting Gov. Moore’s signature: CLICK TO READ > > >

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What unions do

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In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

AFT-MD at the BTU QuEST Conference

Professional development is never a day off for the hardworking members of the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU), Local 340. As is the annual fall custom of QuEST, the BTU put on a dynamic, engaging, and powerful professional development conference. The day-long event gave education professionals the opportunity to learn from fellow BTU members about strategies to be an effective educator inside and outside the classroom. 

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Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day tells us that school has started, the summer is winding down, and the seasons will soon be changing. For us in the labor movement, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the only federal holiday to recognize workers and their efforts. As exciting as it is to celebrate labor and our accomplishments of the past year, we must also recognize the herculean efforts adversaries go through to stop us.

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Reading is a tool that opens every world. The state federation's deep integration into the community leads other organizations to partner with us when schools and community groups want to expand literacy among their students. AFT-Maryland has done this consistently over the past year with the Reading Opens the World events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (video) and Black History Month. During these events AFT-Maryland engages with students as well as faculty and staff as we distribute books for students to use to develop their home libraries.  Things were no different at Hamilton Elementary-Middle School. Students received books focused on characters and stories celebrating Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage. The books are empowering for students... CLICK TO READ > > > MORE