Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to overturn the longstanding precedent in Roe v. Wade is disappointing on a number of levels. It pains me to think that between the celebration of Juneteenth and Independence Day, two holidays that celebrate American freedom, the freedom of women to have bodily autonomy is stripped from them by an unelected branch of government. The question of abortion is a difficult decision that is not undertaken lightly by those facing that choice. However, that question is a private one that The Court has held for nearly four decades as being the solemn province of a woman and those whom she consults regarding her welfare.  As labor activists, we’d be remiss to not see this decision in the same light as the Janus v. AFSCME decision in 2018.... CLICK FOR MORE

The Juneteenth holiday is one that should be celebrated by all Americans as evidence of the great potential of our nation. It would be dishonest and historically inaccurate to turn a blind eye to our nation’s greatest sin, slavery, but in shining a light on that dark point in history, we can find the redeeming values that each of us can aspire to in order to help make our country a more perfect union.  The holiday honors General Gordon Granger riding through Texas with federal troops, reading aloud General Order #3, which included the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln’s famous proclamation changed the relationship between master and slave to “employer and hired labor”. The holiday is important to us as union members because it magnifies the role of labor in our nation’s history... CLICK TO READ MORE

The warm weather of the summer season provides a great opportunity for AFT-Maryland to get involved in the community. President Kenya Campbell and the state federation team set up a table for voter registration, joining a large number of vendors and merchants for the Black Wall Street of Baltimore Business Walk. The event was sponsored by the non-profit Notre Maison Connects, an organization founded and led by Jacqueline Cummings, a member of the Baltimore Teachers Union. This year’s voter registration efforts go beyond the traditional voter engagement efforts in the past, due to the upcoming statewide elections, redistricting, and the unique election taking place in Baltimore for the school board race. For the first time, citizens will have an opportunity to elect two members of the community to the school board. CLICK TO READ MORE

AFT-Maryland, as part of the AFL-CIO, has announced its list of Endorsed Candidates for the 2022 Primary Election. After a long process by which candidates completed questionnaires, interviewed with AFT-Maryland members, and visited worksites where our members are employed, AFT-Maryland members made their voice known in the house of labor who they believe will be the best candidates to stand up for public education and provide state, county, and city residents with the best services they can. For the full list of endorsed candidates, CLICK HERE FOR

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June begins the month-long PRIDE celebration. This is an opportunity to celebrate the amazing diversity of people within our state federation and our larger community. This is a celebration of the various sexual identities and orientations that exist within the human family. For the LGBTQIA+ community, it is a time to fully live in one’s own skin and share in communal fellowship with others.  The celebration we know of today was not overnight. Activists committed to justice have long engaged in the struggle to... CLICK TO READ MORE

May 6, 2022 was National Nurses Day kicking off a week of celebration and appreciation for the backbone of the healthcare field. For AFT-Maryland, it was an opportunity to show the nurses who are members of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses, Local 5102 how grateful we are for their dedicated service to public health in Baltimore County. Our members were on the front lines of the public health efforts during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the rollout of vaccines and boosters, our nurses have continued to serve Baltimore county residents with care and compassion, all while ensuring their work to keep the public healthy.  CLICK TO READ MORE