More than 45 million US workers owe $1.6 trillion dollars in student loans, with ~93% of it owed to the US Department of Education. Workers are going into more debt to finance their education, and more workers are defaulting on those loans because wages aren’t rising to keep up with the costs. The system is broken!
State retirees have been searching for clarity on the question of prescription drugs benefit plan changes since the changes were scheduled to go into effect in 2018.
AFT-MARYLAND PRAISES SEN. THOMAS V. MIKE MILLER ON HIS TENURE AS SENATE PRESIDENT AND WELCOMES SEN. BILL FERGUSON TO LEADERSHIP
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 is no different, and the Civil, Human, and Women’s Rights Committee is the arm of the union that works on these issues specifically.
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.