Unions and social justice have gone hand-in-hand for decades. Any organization that’s committed to democracy and fairness in the workplace would logically work to ensure that the rights of all people are upheld.
AFT-Maryland’s presence in the community knows no limits or bounds. It makes sense then, that when SEIU 32BJ and Maryland Secure Wages Coalition held a Worker Appreciation Cookout in Baltimore, the state federation was there in solidarity and unity with our labor sisters and brothers.
The Baltimore Teachers Union Retiree Chapter (BTU 340R) recently had newly elected executive board members sworn in to office. These officers represent the retirees’ interests in a number of different capacities.
As the presidential elections inch closer and the field of candidates gets more and more competitive, AFT members are engaging, parsing campaign platforms, asking questions of the candidates, and voicing their priorities as educators, healthcare practitioners and public employees. Thus far, the AFT has hosted eight AFT Votes town halls in eight different locations across the country, giving members the opportunity to meet candidates in person and hear about their stands on education, working families, healthcare and other top-line issues. Also part of the AFT’s robust endorsement process: surveys, debate parties and lots of information on AFTVotes.org.
When the community calls, AFT-Maryland answers. This was the case when the state federation joined former Delegate Bilal Ali and a host of west Baltimore community members for a back-to-school family fun day. The event took place at Warwick Park and featured a number of fun and exciting activities for the children.
With the school year underway, educators in Baltimore city eagerly welcomed their students back to school. For new educators, the first week was an opportunity to get themselves acquainted with the daily mechanics of the school and the students. The advice and preparation from others were now to be put into practice.
Healthcare professionals at Clifton T. Perkins turned to their union when they wanted changes at their facility.
STATEMENT FROM AFT-MARYLAND PRESIDENT MARIETTA ENGLISH
ON THE RECENT MASS SHOOTINGS IN TEXAS AND OHIO
Over the weekend, the nation once again witnessed violence in its worst form: mass shootings that took the lives of nearly 30 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. These shootings are again abhorrent and represent the worst in human behavior. They demonstrate that too many Americans use violence as the language with which they communicate. While we are still waiting for a motive in the Dayton shooting, we know the violence in El Paso was motivated by white supremacist xenophobia and ethnic hatred. We also know the shooter was inspired by the words and behavior of our president. White supremacist violence has long haunted many Americans and has resulted in the death of too many black and brown people.
“Teachers have always had power,” AFT President Randi Weingarten told the crowd at the TEACH opening plenary Thursday afternoon. “We need to own our power. And we need to build our power so we can move our agenda—for our students and our families; for safe, welcoming and well-funded public schools; for affordable higher education; healthcare that is a right, not a privilege; a living wage; a decent retirement; a healthy climate and a strong democracy.”
In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest column in the New York Times, she writes that, despite President Trump’s claims that we have the “best economy ever,” his policies are harming working and middle-class Americans, many of whom are struggling just to get by. “Our political and economic systems are so weighted toward the wealthy that opportunity will only come through the power of collective action,” she writes, using “the surest vehicles to increase opportunity for ordinary Americans”—public education, labor unions and voting. Read the full column.