This month, AFT Maryland proudly celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, National Nurses Week, National Hospital Week, and Public Service Recognition Week – a moment to pause and say thank you to the people who keep Maryland running.
And this year, that thank you feels more important than ever.
At a moment when attacks on the rights of all workers remain at an all-time high – on top of the efforts to undermine our public schools, reject basic science, and abolish vital public services – we also see the efforts to push uncontrolled technology as a replacement for the work you passionately do every single day.
These weeks of recognition are a celebration but also a reminder that your work is irreducibly human. It cannot be downloaded, automated, or replaced. Whether you're a teacher meeting a struggling student where they are, a nurse holding a patient's hand through fear and pain, a doctor making a judgment call no algorithm can replicate, or a public servant navigating human needs in real time, your work is not just a function. It is personal, it is passionate, and it cannot be superseded.
To our educators: You show up every day – in classrooms, on campuses, in the lives of Maryland's students – even as public education faces attacks from those who would rather silence you than support you. We will not stop fighting for your rights, your voice, and the future you are building for our communities.
To our doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, and hospital workers: The care you provide is lifesaving. You lead with irreplaceable compassion and expertise, bringing your best to each and every patient. Maryland is safer and healthier because of you, and AFT Maryland is committed to ensuring you have safe workplaces, strong protections, and the respect your work demands.
To our public service workers: You are the engine of this state. From maintaining infrastructure to delivering vital services to keeping our communities safe, your work requires judgment, discretion, and accountability that no algorithm can replicate.
Your work matters because you matter. The passion and human connection at the heart of what you do hold our communities together, and no technology or policy attack can change that.
Thank you for your dedication, your resilience, and your humanity. And know that your union remains by your side, standing up against any attack – on your union rights, your livelihoods, your jobs, or your voices.
In Solidarity,
Kenya Campbell
President, AFT Maryland
