Student debt affects millions of Americans and many are looking for ways to alleviate the heavy burden that student loan debt has become. AFT offers a range of ways to help members who are trying to work around their student debt. Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses (BCFPHN) Local 5102 tapped into those resources when they invited Greg Goff from AFT Higher Education to deliver a virtual presentation to members. Click to read MORE

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has made returning to work a challenge for public employees. Perhaps no place is more challenged than our schools. The Baltimore Teachers Union held a press conference to call for enhanced PPE, greater testing among students, and increased opportunities to vaccinate students.The union believes these strategies will reduce the spread of Covid-19 and will help to keep members and the students they work with safe. The press conference featured a number of political leaders, community organizations, and parent groups who are all allies to the union and remain committed to ensuring that if students are in school, it is done as safely as possible.  Click to read MORE

Members continue to hear from Maryland gubernatorial candidates during AFT-Maryland’s candidate meet-and-greet events. These virtual conversations provide members the opportunity to hear from candidates for Governor about their vision for the state in 2022 and beyond. Last week, public employees heard from Comptroller Peter Franchot and former U.S. Secretary of Education John King.  Click through to read MORE

AFT-Maryland kicked off our first two nights of members-only gubernatorial candidate meet-and-greet events last week. AFT-Maryland members who work in the field of public education had a chance to hear from a few of the candidates who are running to be the next governor of Maryland. Candidates discussed a range of public education policy issues including how to ... MORE

In October, members of the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU Local 340) International Teachers Committee gathered at the BTU office to welcome 27 newly recruited teachers from the Philippines. The committee has been working to orient the new teachers to services and benefits BTU can provide to support them in their various roles working for Baltimore City Schools.  The BTU International Teachers Committee is a group specifically dedicated to ensuring new international teachers acclimate to their new teaching environment. The Committee operates the way the union does for members across the district, just on a smaller scale. It ensures there’s a community that will... MORE

Union business proceeds even on weekends in some instances, and that was the case for the Maryland Classified Employees Association (MCEA, Local 1935) as they held a Saturday training and informational session for MTA police officers who are members of the local. The session covered a number of topics that served as both a welcome and informative introduction to union activity.  MCEA and AFT-Maryland staff walked MTA officers through sessions on collective bargaining, union structure, insurance, as well as grievances. These are vital sessions for public employees accessing the privileges and benefits of union membership. Those in attendance left with a clearer understanding of the structure of their union, a better sense of the relationship their local has with AFT-Maryland, AFT, and the AFL-CIO as well as... MORE