2026 Legislative Report for AFT Maryland
Denise Riley, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs

Sine Die marked the conclusion of a challenging 2026 legislative session. Leadership changes in the House of Delegates, including a new Speaker, shifts in committee chairs, and the creation of the House Government, Labor and Elections Committee, caused people to scramble and quickly adjust their strategies to move their bills. In addition, a projected billion-dollar state budget shortfall prompted legislators and lobbyists to amend bills to reduce their fiscal impact.

Despite these challenges, AFT Maryland did well in the legislative session. The federation and its affiliates supported over 30 bills, the majority of which were successfully enacted, and all the ones we opposed were defeated.

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Workers' Memorial Day is not just a moment of reflection; it is a call to action. We pause to honor those we have lost, to grieve alongside the families they left behind, and to remind every elected leader and employer that the safety of working people is not optional and failure to protect them is not acceptable.

This past year...

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Dozens of BCCC Faculty & Staff Rally w/ Union Leaders to Demand Fair Contracts, Improved Benefits & Wages

AFT Maryland and AFSCME locals representing BCCC faculty and staff join forces to demand fair compensation and improved working conditions

BALTIMORE – On Wednesday, April 29, dozens of faculty at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) – who are unionized with United Academics of Maryland (UAMD), an affiliate of AFT Maryland – will join forces with AFSCME Local 1870, which represents employees at BCCC, to rally and demand the fair contract faculty and staff deserve.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Feldman Strategies, team@feldmanstrategies.com
April 9, 2026 

AFT Maryland Celebrates Historic Expansion of Collective Bargaining Rights to Thousands of Four-Year Public University Faculty

ANNAPOLIS, MD – In a historic win for Maryland higher education workers, the Maryland General Assembly has passed legislation, which now heads to the Governor’s desk, extending collective bargaining rights to the vast majority of non-tenure track faculty – including full-time, part-time/adjunct faculty – at Maryland's four-year public universities.

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Spring is the season of growth, and it's worth taking a moment to see how far we've come.

It proved to be a challenging season, but our union has grown stronger. This legislative session, and always, members organized in force at hearings, at rallies, and in testimony demanding change. The results are clear to see.

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Today the bill granting collective bargaining rights to Maryland's non-tenure track faculty passed out of the Senate! Unfortunately while certain groups of non-tenure track faculty are omitted, today's vote brings us closer than ever to granting all faculty the rights already enjoyed by their colleagues in Maryland's community colleges, and four year institutions in 25 other states across the country. Your support made this possible, and together we will continue to organize in the Maryland House to bring bargaining rights to NTT faculty.