Press

Community college faculty continue to assert their power in the workplace by joining a union. Full time faculty at Chesapeake Community College filed paperwork declaring their intention to form a union with the Maryland Public Employee Labor Relations Board. This comes after years of faculty organizing with support from AFT Maryland. Faculty at the college will join United Academics-Maryland, a union affiliated with AFT Maryland. The affiliation with AFT Maryland builds on the historic affiliation with AAUP and AFT, which took place at the AFT Convention in Boston in 2022.

Read the full press release here.

Faculty at community colleges across Maryland are choosing unionization as the best way to secure democracy in the workplace. Higher education professionals at Prince George’s Community College joined the ranks submitting paperwork declaring their intention to form a union with the Maryland Public Employee Labor Relations Board. This is the fruit of intense organizing efforts among the professors at the institution and AFT Maryland. Faculty had a rally celebrating their unionization and looking forward to collective bargaining. 

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Higher education workers from across the University of Maryland System as well as St. Mary’s College and Morgan State University rallied today calling on the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation enabling collective bargaining for full time faculty and graduate workers at public institutions across the state. Collective bargaining would improve wages, create certainty around courseload, define work schedule and responsibilities and bring much needed educator voice to shaping the direction of Maryland’s four year institutions. Joining activists to make that case were state elected leaders such as Del. Linda Foley (D-15), as well as Sen. Ben Kramer (D-19), Sen. Clarence Lam (D-12), and Sen. Sarah Elfreth (D-30).

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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"17871","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 33%; float: right; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;"}}]]AFT-Maryland Remains United and Committed to Organizing as Supreme Court Sides with Wealthy, Corporate Interests in Anti-Union Case

Decision Won’t Stop Union Growth as Workers Organize to Give Voice to Shared Values

Baltimore, MD—The Supreme Court’s decision, in the case Janus v. AFSCME invalidates state laws allowing labor unions to collect fees from everyone in a bargaining unit, including non-members, to pay the costs of bargaining and other representation the union is required to provide.

Marietta English, president of AFT-Maryland which represents over 20,000 public sector workers across the state of Maryland including teachers, nurses, correctional officers, 911 call operators, and other municipal and state professionals, predicted that the decision ultimately will lead to greater member engagement and activism.

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Statement from AFT-Maryland President Marietta English
on the passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz

AFT-Maryland is shocked beyond words to hear of the passing of Kevin Kamenetz. Beyond politics, this was a man dedicated to Baltimore County, who was lost too soon. From his days as a county councilman to his time as county executive, he put the county first despite how others may receive it. He was a true friend.

We mourn with his family, all of Baltimore County, and the state of Maryland at the loss of such a pivotal figure in Maryland politics.  

Statement on May Day from AFT-Maryland President Marietta English

On this day, AFT-Maryland reflects on the many contributions organized labor has made in this nation and across the world. We remember the sacrifices made by so many women and men to ensure workers have fair wages and decent working conditions.

We also remember... 

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"52813","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-left","style":"width: 200px; height: 200px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: left;"}}]]AFT-Maryland President Marietta English on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

On this solemn day, we remember a man who was not only a leader for racial but also economic equality; a man who in his last days walked with and campaigned for the dignity of public employees; a man of the cloth who committed himself to the labor movement.

As the president of a state federation that represents more than 20,000 public employees, the sacrifices of this great man are not lost on me or any of the members of our federation.  Though we'll always be sad that Dr. King did not get to live a long life, see his children grow up, and play with his grandchildren, we will forever be indebted to him for being the vocal conscious of this nation, calling on it to live up to every promise of equality.

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