Dear Members,
Every day is a cause to celebrate the work we come together to create – but without a doubt, our favorite of the year is Labor Day.
On this day, we honor the generations of workers who fought before us so that we could have the rights, protections, and voice we hold today.
I have spent the last two weeks visiting classrooms, campuses, and worksites across Maryland – walking hallways, sitting with faculty during their first weeks back, and talking with members about what matters to them and what they're organizing to protect. And in every conversation, there was a sense of pride in the work they do and in showing up for Maryland's communities every day.
That readiness, that enthusiasm for our community, is what fuels our fight. It's what has powered a year of historic wins for AFT Maryland. Wins that will shape the lives of Maryland's workers for generations to come.
This year, we secured life-changing legislation that expands collective bargaining rights to thousands of non-tenure-track faculty at Maryland's four-year public universities – a fight our members carried through years of testimony, organizing, and refusing to back down.
We kept the momentum going as faculty across the state's community colleges, public school systems, and city workers ratified union contracts, which brought improved wages, protections, and working conditions.
Every one of these wins was earned through a formula that has stood the test of time – change is possible when we come together and refuse to accept anything less than what we deserve.
Behind every victory is each and every one of us, carrying each other forward and demanding better.
Just this past Thursday, I had the privilege of rallying with our BCCC faculty members, our fellow BCCC AFSCME union brothers and sisters, and labor leaders across the city as part of the Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO’s Labor Day bus tour. And I saw the solidarity that ensures we never fight alone. Dozens of workers standing shoulder to shoulder, making our voices heard as the rain fell. A beautiful reminder of the power we all hold and the very truth that there is so much more that connects workers than divides us.
[Hear Pres. Campbell's remarks at the rally here.]
That's the power we celebrate today. It's the power we build together and maintain by showing up for one another. And it's the power that will carry us through whatever fights come next.
So on this Labor Day, thank you. Thank you for the work you do for your students, your patients, your co-workers, and your communities.
There is plenty of work ahead. But if this year has shown us anything, it's that there is nothing our union cannot accomplish when we stand together.
Happy Labor Day!
In Solidarity,
Kenya Campbell
President, AFT Maryland
Vice President, American Federation of Teachers
