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The 2023 Maryland legislative session held much promise following the tireless get out the vote efforts of AFT-Maryland and our AFL-CIO affiliates. Our dogged canvassing and all-hands-on-deck effort during the 2022 election bore fruit during the legislative session. Following the inauguration of the first African-American Governor in Maryland’s history and newly elected state Delegates and Senators taking their seats, AFT-Maryland got down to business. Despite the amount of turnover heading into the session, one thing remained true: AFT-Maryland would fight for our 18,000 members. And fight we did, racking up impressive wins and commanding the attention of political leaders across the state.  The following bills passed both houses and have been signed or are currently awaiting Gov. Moore’s signature: CLICK TO READ > > >

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What unions do

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In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

Public Service Recognition Week 2025

This is an important week for AFT Maryland as we proudly celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Appreciation Week, and Public Service Workers Recognition Week. AFT Maryland represents dedicated workers who keep our communities running: educators, healthcare workers, state employees, and civil servants. You are the backbone of our schools, hospitals, agencies, and institutions, and the value you bring to Maryland cannot be overstated.

Read on for more...

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Many Hands make the Labor Light!

Labor Day marks the end of the summer while honoring and acknowledging working people. This holiday is famous for cookouts and parades, but the holiday holds special significance to us in the labor movement. It is a day off that has been earned and fought for by the countless labor advocates who have struggled along the way. It is a holiday that working people should hold in the deepest regard because it is a reflection of all of us.

Labor Day is a day of reflection, but reflection alone feels insufficient. In times such as these when it feels like there are constant attacks on workers and working people, the only solution we have is solidarity and active engagement...

Read on for more! 

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Following President Biden's decision to no longer seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, the AFT Executive Council moved swiftly in recommending endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. When presented before the delegates of the convention, AFT delegates voted resoundingly to endorse Vice President Harris. She has the support of the 1.8 million member union.

Closer to home, AFT Maryland will continue get out the vote (GOTV) efforts here in Maryland. "We will be hands on deck to elect Angela Alsobrooks to the United States Senate and Kamala Harris to the White House. We will also offer our support to our neighbors in Pennsylvania and Virginia to turn out voters to support Vice President Harris in the upcoming November election," said AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell. 

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Workers Memorial Day 2024

The labor movement uses April 28th as a day for annual reflection in honor of workers who have been hurt or fatally injured on the job. This year, the annual commemoration held a particularly bitter sting as the labor movement mourned six workers killed when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore in March.

Read on for photos and more from the event.
 

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