AFT-Maryland is a state-wide affiliate of member locals and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), our national union. It serves member locals, their members, and at-large members who do not have local affiliates in their regions.

State-wide, our members work in state and local government, as well as in K-12 school districts. We serve local affiliates ranging in size from more than 8,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in the Baltimore Teachers Union to 11 members in the newly formed Ocean City Federation of Public Employees. Geographically, our local unions cover the state from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore.

The AFT, AFT-Maryland, and our local unions are active participants in the AFL-CIO and its local labor councils. This labor network enhances the unions' effectiveness in local communities, the state legislature, and in Washington, D.C. As part of the larger labor community, we are able to lend our collective voices to those issues facing our members and their families. We are working to protect Social Security and maintain collective bargaining rights. Issues involving worker empowerment and respect are central to our mission.

The foundation of AFT-Maryland is strong local unions. The local unions are autonomous and retain control of decisions affecting their membership. The members in a local elect their officers, execuvtive boards, and committees.

Members make their voices heard on the state level by electing delegates to our state convention and by participating on various committees. Delegates to the convention vote on policy and the goals and objectives of the state federation. The convention elects the president, the secretary-treasurer, and the twelve vice preseidents who comprise the Executive Board. The Executive Board directs the operations of AFT-Maryland between conventions.

Organizing to bring new members into our union is an important focus of the state federation. We want to help workers secure better wages and working conditions, while also growing our union. We encourage you to become an active participant in your local union. Reach out to your colleagues and ask them to join us as we work together to improve working conditions and opportunities for us all.

AFT-Maryland has advocated for the rights of teachers and state workers  for more than three decades. Our goal is to create working conditions for our members and all state workers that produce fair and equitable salaries and wage compensation, common sense management policies,  fair pension and retirement benefits, and affordable health care. We support and utilize collective bargaining, a  process that protects the rights of workers and involves them in the decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.

AFT-Maryland organizes teachers, para-professionals, nurses and other health care providers, medical technicians, and state and local professional employees. Experience has taught us that, as working people, we have much in common. When we stand together, we can protect our interests and preserve our hard-won benefits.

AFT-Maryland fights to protects and defend  workers because it recognizes their value and importance as vital contributors to the economic health and social vibrancy of our communities.

AFT-Maryland promotes professional development, excellence in public service, and safe working environments. As a union, AFT-Maryland believes that working people should be given dignity and respect, and that they should be included and involved in decisions that affect the workplace.

AFT-Maryland represents 11,000 city, state, and county employees.

The Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel (PSRP) division of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, represents more than 350,000 school support staff in K-12 districts, colleges and universities. Our jobs include office employees, custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers, instructional paraprofessionals, food service workers, school nurses and health aides, technicians, groundskeepers, secretaries, bookkeepers, mechanics, special education assistants and hundreds of other job titles.