The Juneteenth holiday should forever hold a special place in the hearts of labor activists. It is indeed a holiday to commemorate the end of American slavery, but we should never lose sight that American slavery had as much to do with labor rights as it did with race-based discrimination. Marking the end of the civil war with this holiday is a celebration of the end of state sanctioned race-based exploitation of vulnerable workers. The effects of the end of slavery reverberated throughout the entire United States, not merely because it marked a shift in the moral direction of the country, but because it recalibrated work relationships all across the nation, and particularly in southern states. 

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Following years of organizing, residents and fellows working at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) have voted to form a union, affiliating with AFT Maryland. Residents and fellows at the institution determined unionization was the best way to advocate for themselves and their patients. Members of the organizing committee are excited about the victory and the promise that unionization means for themselves and future residents and fellows.

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BALTIMORE CITY IS NOT FOR SALE:
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES TO OPPOSE DEVASTATING BALLOT MEASURES  
Coalition effort to preserve essential services, schools, representative democracy; New research details destructive financial fallout of ill-considered property tax proposal

Baltimore City elected officials, public sector workers, and residents today announced the launch of Baltimore City Not for Sale, a grassroots campaign coalition to stop ruinous ballot questions that may appear on the November 2024 ballot. Big money interests from inside and outside Baltimore City are using the ballot question process to attempt to reshape the city to benefit big businesses, developers, and the wealthiest residents.

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The celebration of Pride month every year in June reminds us of the need to make our workplaces safe and inclusive for everyone; this is particularly true for workers in state and local governments. Public workplaces must be hospitable and welcoming to each of us regardless of our sexual orientation or gender expression. AFT Maryland has been at the forefront of the labor movement in Maryland ensuring that our members feel supported and confident of their place in the AFT Maryland and the larger labor family.

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Once again, the members of the AFT Maryland have demonstrated, through their hard work volunteering, that Baltimore is, always has been, and always will be a union town. 

With the Baltimore City Board of Elections certifying the results from last week’s primary election, labor can now officially celebrate the hard-fought victories up and down the ballot. The process that began last year with the construction and compilation of union questionnaires for the candidates and ended with union activists on doors and phones every week for the past 2 months bore fruit.

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The AFT Maryland 2024 Triennial Convention has concluded. It was a day of deep labor engagement among delegates representing the more than 15,000 members who make up the AFT Maryland. Attendees heard from our state federation president Kenya Campbell, as well as remarks from the keynote speaker, Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins. The day-long convention was held in AFT Maryland’s new facilities in Windsor Mill, Maryland.

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