Legislative & Political Hub

AFT Maryland members came together in Annapolis for our annual Lobby Night, where they met with legislators to advocate for our priorities and push for protections for workers across the state. From K-12 educators to higher education faculty, state employees to healthcare workers, we made it clear that Maryland's workers deserve respect, fair pay, and a real voice in decisions that affect our lives.

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Make your voice heard in Annapolis!

Join with other union members for an AFL-CIO Union Rally on Lawyers Mall in front of the State House. 

Wear your union gear and join us! Monday, March 9, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m.

AFT Maryland will be providing bus transportation for our members. 

Click through for event info and to RSVP. 

Our labor siblings–non-tenure track faculty at Maryland’s four-year public universities–are fighting for collective bargaining rights and the right to unionize. And they need your help.

United Academics of Maryland-UMD are launching a letter writing campaign to Senate President Bill Ferguson. He is the most influential decision maker on moving their bill to the floor, where it has the votes to pass. They are in the middle of a postcard campaign, and are asking other union members and the public to help by sending a letter online.

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Maryland’s legislative future is being redefined as Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk assumes her role as leader of the House of Representatives, bringing a career’s worth of progressive momentum. Representing District 21 (Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties), her elevation to the speakership represents more than a leadership change; it is a mandate for the progressive values that have defined her career including her commitment to organized labor and working families.

Speaker Peña-Melnyk’s support for working people is rooted in her personal history...

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Maryland’s 911 Specialists should have the same access to the state retirement benefits available to other public safety personnel (first responders), such as police, firefighters, and EMS workers. Unfortunately, the Internal Revenue (IRS) Code that governs qualified government pension plans will not allow it. 

The Maryland 911 Specialist Recruitment and Retention Workgroup has appealed to Congressional leaders, the Congressional NextGen 911 Caucus and Maryland’s federal delegation, to request support to amend the code. 

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In the upcoming 2026 Maryland State legislative session, Senators Jack Bailey and Will Smith plan to reintroduce Senate Bill 690, legislation to amend Maryland’s Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program - to include correctional officers.
The goal of the bill is to make correctional officers, both current employees and students preparing for the profession, eligible for tuition assistance. This support would help ...

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Getting a handle on artificial intelligence (AI) before it gets out of control was a major topic at this year's National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Summit in Boston. The conference, its largest ever with over 9,000 state legislators, made it clear that without guardrails, AI could become a serious problem. The conversation was driven by the lessons learned from the rise of social media, where a lack of early regulation led to unforeseen issues.

AI presents both an opportunity and a threat. While it has the potential to improve our lives, it also poses a risk to jobs in education and healthcare. Governments and businesses could see AI as a quick and easy way to cut payroll, healthcare costs and lower taxes.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is one of the most ambitious education reforms in America. Its goal? Nothing less than transforming Maryland’s public schools into a world-class system and to keep our state economically competitive.

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) is the body charged with overseeing the Blueprint. In recent months, the AIB has taken a proactive step: asking the public for feedback. The AIB has been gathering comments from citizens across the state and the response was clear: Marylanders care deeply about education.

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Imagine handing Meta a $15 billion tax break while 16 million Americans lose their healthcare. Does that sound like a good deal? Well, that’s exactly what we’re looking at under Trump’s so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”

Let’s call it what it is: A Scam.

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Summer is here, bringing intense heat and humidity with it. This means dangerous working conditions for many on the job. AFT Maryland and the City Union of Baltimore (CUB), along with a coalition of labor unions, recently scored a victory for worker safety during the hot days of summer. Together, we worked for new regulations to protect workers from the increasing risk of heat-related illnesses on the job.

The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) division of the state’s Department of Labor (DLLR), finalized the new heat illness prevention rules with implementation to begin ahead of the 2025 summer season. 

Under the new rules, employers must take specific actions when the heat index hits 80°F or higher. 
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