News

On November 6th, America witnessed an historic occurence. The re-election of President Barack Obama both shocked and elated not only America's voters, but people around the world. Prominent members of the Republican Party had announced that their first priority was to prevent the president from being re-elected.

In fact, it now has been revealed that certain governors and election officials consciously and deliberately conspired to suppress the Democratic turnout to prevent the president's victory. Right wing pundits confidently predicted the president's fall.

The majority of the nation's voters

AFT-Maryland President Marietta English convened members of the AFT-Maryland leadership and staff for a special training retreat in October, at the Mount Washington Conference Center in Baltimore. The retreat was devoted to a review and analysis of the federation's operations, and the identification of specific strategies and practices capable of increasing the federation's efficiency and effectiveness.

The retreat placed special emphasis on four key areas: legislative and political power; organizing and mobilization, communications, and community engagement.

Dr. Lorretta Johnson, Secretary

From our friends at the Democratic Women's PAC of Maryland:

2012 brought many exciting victories for women leaders across the country, but the path to electoral and professional success for women today remains challenging in many ways. Women still have to work smarter and harder to raise money, to credential ourselves as viable leaders and candidates and to gain access to professional and financial networks often still shut off to women today..

Fortunately, there are a number of groups here in Maryland working hard to break down these barriers. I look forward to joining two of them: the

We hope you use your time off to relax and reflect on this year and what we can do to improve next year!

AFT-Maryland offices will be closed from Monday, Dec. 24th through Tuesday, Jan. 1st. We will re-open on the 2nd for regular business hours.

Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! See you in 2013!

Please also keep the family of Cindy Ann Yuille, an AFT member who was killed in the mall shooting in Oregon earlier in the week, in your thoughts. These are awful tragedies and we should all take a minute to be thankful for what we have. 

In light of these horrible events, I would encourage all of you take the time to make sure that you have up-to-date emergency information and plans for your

Workers in Michigan need your help to protect their voice and Michigan’s middle class

Right now in Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican leaders are attempting to jam through controversial “right-to-work-for-less” legislation at the behest of wealthy CEOs and corporate donors. And they’re doing it with lame-duck legislators whom voters chose not to re-elect. That’s not fair. That’s not democracy. And it won’t help Michigan’s economy. Stand up against this attempt to pass a right-to-work law in Michigan. Sign the petition.

President Obama put it best: So-called right-to-work laws are not

Workers in Michigan need your help to protect their voice and Michigan’s middle class

Right now in Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican leaders are attempting to jam through controversial “right-to-work-for-less” legislation at the behest of wealthy CEOs and corporate donors. And they’re doing it with lame-duck legislators whom voters chose not to re-elect. That’s not fair. That’s not democracy. And it won’t help Michigan’s economy. Stand up against this attempt to pass a right-to-work law in Michigan. Sign the petition.

President Obama put it best: So-called right-to-work laws are not

This week AFT-Maryland, the Baltimore City Public School system, the Baltimore Teachers Union and the Labor Movement lost a great friend.  On Tuesday November 27, 2012,  Patricia Cook-Ferguson passed away after a brief illness.  

I met Pat more than twenty years ago when she came to Cross Country Elementary School. She taught Special Education in a small art room that had been converted into a classroom. We became friends instantly.  She had three small sons that I watched grow into young men. She later had five grandchildren that were the light of her life.  

Pat became involved in the Union