On Tuesday, September 9th, dozens of faculty at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) – who unionized with United Academics of Maryland (UAMD), an affiliate of AFT Maryland, nearly one year ago – joined students, union leaders, electeds, and community groups at a rally to demand the fair contract faculty deserve after months of bargaining.

While BCCC’s president rakes in over half a million dollars a year, BCCC faculty are regularly experiencing delayed or inaccurate payroll as they face chronic understaffing on campus. ...

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As the Summer comes to an end, the weather begins to cool and the leaves begin to change, we get to celebrate our holiday – Labor Day.

Throughout the long history of this holiday and labor movement, we have seen workers flooding the streets advocating for improved rights and freedoms for working people and making their voices heard. The labor movement has seen countless victories accomplishing just that for workers across this country – fighting to ensure that as the times change, workers are not left behind.

Yet, as we know, the fight for fairness is a long one, and it is one that continues to be increasingly difficult at a time when workers are...

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Getting a handle on artificial intelligence (AI) before it gets out of control was a major topic at this year's National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Summit in Boston. The conference, its largest ever with over 9,000 state legislators, made it clear that without guardrails, AI could become a serious problem. The conversation was driven by the lessons learned from the rise of social media, where a lack of early regulation led to unforeseen issues.

AI presents both an opportunity and a threat. While it has the potential to improve our lives, it also poses a risk to jobs in education and healthcare. Governments and businesses could see AI as a quick and easy way to cut payroll, healthcare costs and lower taxes.

HOWARD COUNTY – In a major victory for higher education workers, faculty at Howard Community College, represented by United Academics of Maryland (UAMD), have reached a tentative agreement on their first-ever union contract. This victory marks the second UAMD-represented institution to reach a tentative agreement this year and since the State Legislature expanded collective bargaining rights to community college faculty in 2021.

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University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) residents and fellows, represented by the University of Maryland Resident and Fellow Alliance (UMRFA) – an affiliate of AFT Maryland – have voted to ratify their first-ever union contract, which includes double-digit salary increases and major improvements to working conditions, benefits, and quality of life.

The contract addresses major wage discrepancies as compared to peer hospitals in the state by granting a 20% salary increase over the next 3 years, a drastic improvement compared to the average annual raise of only 2% over the last 10 years. The contract also establishes a Labor-Management Committee to maintain their seat at the table with UMMC, ensuring that residents and fellows can continue to address specific or systemic concerns of house staff.

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The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is one of the most ambitious education reforms in America. Its goal? Nothing less than transforming Maryland’s public schools into a world-class system and to keep our state economically competitive.

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) is the body charged with overseeing the Blueprint. In recent months, the AIB has taken a proactive step: asking the public for feedback. The AIB has been gathering comments from citizens across the state and the response was clear: Marylanders care deeply about education.

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