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Open Letter to Gov Hogan in Response to COVID-19

open letter to Governor Hogan

On Monday, April 6, 2020, AFT-Maryland sent this open letter to Gov. Larry Hogan regarding local and state public employees in the state of Maryland.

AFT-Maryland is a federation of public employees that represents nearly 20,000 workers across the state of Maryland. Our members work in the fields of education, public safety, healthcare and more.

For follow-up or interviews with any local union leaders of AFT-Maryland please contact: Ray Baker, Director of Communication, AFT-Maryland, rbaker@aftmd.org.


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Maryland Senior Call Check Program

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HOW DOES IT WORK?
Every day a telephone call will be placed to a participant at a regularly scheduled time. These calls will take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. as close as possible to the one-hour time block pre-selected by the participant. If the participant does not answer their first call, they will be tried two more times. If those calls go unanswered, additional calls will be made to notify an alternative person who is ... CLICK TO READ

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Childcare for Essential Personnel

Those who are are parents of young children probably know by now that the only childcare centers that are open in the state are those which have been approved to care for the children of those deemed essential personnel.

If you are an essential employee who must work, you may be eligible for state subsidized childcare during this crisis. Click here to access a copy of the application parents need to complete in order for the daycare provider to consider them essential personnel.

The Maryland Department of Education has an updated list of childcare centers. Click here to visit earlychildhood

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Congressional District 7 Special Election

Due to concerns regarding the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19, Maryland has made the District 7 special election a vote-by-mail-only election. This is to fill the seat vacated by the unfortunate passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings in the fall of 2019.

The State Board of Elections plans to mail every eligible voter in district 7 their mail-in ballot by late March. If you have not yet received your ballot, or want to check to make sure your information is correct and up-to-date with the board of elections, please reach out to your county or city local board of elections

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Kirwan Passes Both Chambers


The efforts to #flattenthecurve of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, meant that the General Assembly suspended the Maryland legislative session in mid-March and this has increased the speed at which the legislature has worked to pass their most important bills. The Blueprint bill, commonly referred to as Kirwan, passed both chambers of the General Assembly and now waits on Governor Hogan’s desk for his signature. This landmark bill overhauls Maryland’s education system first by demanding greater state and local spending on education. BTU executive board member Corey Gaber

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Resources on COVID-19

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"67947","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","style":"width: 100%; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;"}}]]AFT and AFT-Maryland are focused on the health and safety of our members and communities. Members can stay connected with information and obtain resources by by calling AFT's outbreak line at 800-900-2343 or by sending an email to outbreak@aft.org. 

Below is a list of resources on the web for members and community as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, including links to the US CDC, Maryland Dept. of Health, AFT National's links for Nurses & Health Professionals, Public Employees, Educators & School Support Staff, and Higher Ed Faculty & Staff. There are also links to the AFL-CIO's resources, Union Plus hardship help, OSHA, and the WHO. Click through to read more.



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