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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. 

Independence Day and the celebration of our country’s founding is a beautiful metaphor for the labor movement. In forming the country, various interests and people were forced to collaborate around a united idea to birth what has become the United States of America. Farmers from western Massachusetts had to align their interests with merchants from Pennsylvania who themselves had to join with southerners who made their money trading on people and land. Each had their own unique issue with the mother country, yet none alone could stand up to the world’s strongest empire at the time.

The labor movement, much like the original thirteen colonies, can only demonstrate its power in unity. 

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The union is not only a home for active workers; it is also a place for retirees. AFT Maryland has three active retiree chapters in the state federation and each was represented at a retiree meeting held at the state federation office. Retired members from the Maryland Classified Employees Association (MCEA-Council 152), Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU-R), and the City Union of Baltimore (CUB-R) gathered for food, fellowship, and important updates on how to actively support labor, electoral, and community efforts of AFT Maryland. The gathering was organized by AFT Maryland organizer Janell Edmonds with support from the state federation.

Read on for photos and more from the event.

Once finals are over and grades are turned in, you may think a professor’s work is finished for the summer. That’s not completely true for community college professors who are a part of the United Academics of Maryland (UAMD). For them, the work continues into the summer. On Saturday, June 15, 2024, professors representing community colleges across Maryland including Prince George’s, Howard, Hagerstown, Frederick, and Baltimore City attended a steward training for higher education professionals.

For photos and more on the steward training, read on!

The Juneteenth holiday should forever hold a special place in the hearts of labor activists. It is indeed a holiday to commemorate the end of American slavery, but we should never lose sight that American slavery had as much to do with labor rights as it did with race-based discrimination. Marking the end of the civil war with this holiday is a celebration of the end of state sanctioned race-based exploitation of vulnerable workers. The effects of the end of slavery reverberated throughout the entire United States, not merely because it marked a shift in the moral direction of the country, but because it recalibrated work relationships all across the nation, and particularly in southern states. 

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The celebration of Pride month every year in June reminds us of the need to make our workplaces safe and inclusive for everyone; this is particularly true for workers in state and local governments. Public workplaces must be hospitable and welcoming to each of us regardless of our sexual orientation or gender expression. AFT Maryland has been at the forefront of the labor movement in Maryland ensuring that our members feel supported and confident of their place in the AFT Maryland and the larger labor family.

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The AFT Maryland 2024 Triennial Convention has concluded. It was a day of deep labor engagement among delegates representing the more than 15,000 members who make up the AFT Maryland. Attendees heard from our state federation president Kenya Campbell, as well as remarks from the keynote speaker, Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins. The day-long convention was held in AFT Maryland’s new facilities in Windsor Mill, Maryland.

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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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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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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.