The weather was cold and wet for AFT Maryland’s Member Action Day on Saturday, October 17, but our members came out anyway, and the afternoon cleared up eventually. The day brought union members and their families together for trainings, resources, and ways to get more involved.
“We’re having our big event here today: member engagement, getting our members involved,” said Todd Reynolds, AFT Maryland Political Coordinator. Trainings on immigrants’ rights and election protection ran throughout the day, and information tables covered the union’s political program.
For AFT Maryland President and AFT Vice President Kenya Campbell, the goal was simple. “We’re here today because we want our members to know how hard their state federation, their national, and their local are fighting on their behalf,” Campbell said. She noted that many families are struggling to make ends meet, and the event offered resources members could take home to help.
Campbell also connected the day to No Kings Day and the fight to protect democracy. Election protection volunteers were on hand to help members get ready for the polls and make a plan to vote.
In the immigrants’ rights training, Stephanie Sepulveda, Immigration and Labor Specialist at the AFL-CIO, led a Know Your Rights session on constitutional protections. The training focused on the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments and on how members can respond to increased immigration enforcement around the country. “It’s really important for us to know our constitutional rights in order to protect them, and to fight for them,” Sepulveda said. The session also emphasized standing in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.
Gabriel Hightower, Election Protection Organizer with Common Cause Maryland, shared how members can volunteer and get active during early voting and on Election Day in Maryland. He also told members about the organization’s One Million Conversations program, which is launching nationwide across Common Cause’s 24 chapters.
The day ended with a raffle featuring some very nice prizes, one more fun way to bring members in and get them involved.
Watch the video to see highlights from the day!