The state federation continues to grow with the recent addition of more classifications of state employees, education professionals at the Maryland School for the Deaf, and higher education professionals from community colleges across the state. The additional members give events such as our annual Lobby Night more people, demonstrating more power and better positioning public employees to have their voices heard. AFT Maryland took two full buses to Annapolis to meet with legislators to advocate for the state federation’s legislative priorities. More members drove themselves and met us there to display the full power of our collective unions. 

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Memorial Day is a marker to get ready for vacations, and be sure children have their summer plans in order. The holiday also marks a season of optimism and is the first in a line of summer holidays that celebrate the rich, complex, and diverse history of the United States.

Memorial Day invites us to slow down and pause from the lightning quick pace that life has become. It can be difficult to stop scrolling, turn off the television, and put down the phone but that is what this holiday asks us to do. 

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Women are a mighty force in the American labor movement. We kick off Women’s History Month celebrating the amazing women who have helped shape the labor movement across the nation and here in Maryland. Our state federation is teeming with powerful women activists. There are currently nine women members of AFT-Maryland’s Executive Board, as well as four of our locals have women presidents. AFT-Maryland has been blessed with exceptional leadership from my predecessors Lorretta Johnson and Marietta English and we are grateful for the woman leading our national organization, Randi Weingarten. The power of women in the labor movement does not stop there. The Maryland-Washington D.C. AFL-CIO is led by President Donna Edwards.

Maryland’s rich history of women in prominent leadership positions is not limited to the labor movement. We are at a watershed moment for women political leaders across the state...

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This year for Public Service Recognition Week the state federation shines a light on one of our members who works day in and day out serving Maryland public transit riders. Get to know Maryland Classified Employees Association (MCEA) Local 1935 member Donald Maynard. 

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Rising prescription drug prices affect individuals, employers, and all levels of government. As pharmaceutical manufacturers kick off the new year with their annual price hikes, Maryland is stepping up its efforts to tackle the problem head-on.

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State employees unionized with the Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC) Local 6197 met at the AFT Maryland for a steward training in April. The event was well attended by members representing a wide diversity of agencies across the state. Among the attendees were a number of first time stewards as well as a host of veteran stewards. The varied experience of the attendees allowed for a great deal of peer-to-peer learning that supplemented the instruction from Samaria Sullivan of AFT and la’Rufus Mitchell of the AFT’s Union Leadership Institute. 

Read on for photos and more from the event.