This month, AFT Maryland proudly celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, National Nurses Week, National Hospital Week, and Public Service Recognition Week – a moment to pause and say thank you to the people who keep Maryland running.

And this year, that thank you feels more important than ever.

At a moment when attacks on the rights of all workers remain at an all-time high – on top of the efforts to undermine our public schools, reject basic science, and abolish vital public services – we also see the efforts to push uncontrolled technology as a replacement for the work you passionately do every single day. 

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The AFT PSRP leadership conference last month came chock-full of advice from activists on how to optimize campaigns, whether they focus on organizing, politics, a living wage or community service. PSRP co-chairs Carl Williams and Sarah Wofford led the proceedings. Williams is president of the Lawndale (Calif.) Federation of Classified Employees, a former school custodian and president of California’s classified members. Wofford is an accounting specialist for Rogue Community College and president of the Oregon School Employees Association. Eighteen AFT locals sent paraprofessionals and school-related personnel to Chicago April 10-12 for the conference.

As the Trump administration continues to attack higher education—cutting research grants, targeting free speech and restricting classroom materials—the AFT and the American Association of University Professors have unveiled a powerful new blueprint to restore and preserve higher education, just in time for the 2026 midterms.

AFT nurses and healthcare professionals from across the country gathered in Detroit April 13-15. They came carrying the weight of understaffing, growing patient demand and a healthcare system under attack but left with something stronger: a shared sense of purpose and concrete plans to act. The “Together We Care” 2026 professional issues conference wasn’t about passive listening. It was a rehearsal for what comes next. 

2026 Legislative Report for AFT Maryland
Denise Riley, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs

Sine Die marked the conclusion of a challenging 2026 legislative session. Leadership changes in the House of Delegates, including a new Speaker, shifts in committee chairs, and the creation of the House Government, Labor and Elections Committee, caused people to scramble and quickly adjust their strategies to move their bills. In addition, a projected billion-dollar state budget shortfall prompted legislators and lobbyists to amend bills to reduce their fiscal impact.

Despite these challenges, AFT Maryland did well in the legislative session. The federation and its affiliates supported over 30 bills, the majority of which were successfully enacted, and all the ones we opposed were defeated.

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Workers' Memorial Day is not just a moment of reflection; it is a call to action. We pause to honor those we have lost, to grieve alongside the families they left behind, and to remind every elected leader and employer that the safety of working people is not optional and failure to protect them is not acceptable.

This past year...

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