The Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC) Local 6197 recently wrapped up a successful and productive member outreach campaign. The initiative was a collaborative effort between the AFT-Maryland and the local union. During the campaign, staff from the state federation and the local were joined by member-activists who volunteered their time to connect with colleagues and potential members to inform them about the ongoing contract negotiations, to communicate the union’s priorities, and to encourage those who were not members to join the union.
The membership outreach campaign, referred to by union activists as a “blitz”, kicked off at the state facility on Washington Boulevard in Baltimore. That office houses the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) as well as the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA). The event featured remarks from AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell and was attended by several MPEC board members. It was an exciting and engaging event that got the blitz off to a great start.
During the course of the campaign, the union visited several work sites across the state including the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture in Annapolis, the State Highway Administration in Hanover, and the Department of Labor, Department of Human Services, and the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation each located in Baltimore. The month-long effort galvanized members from across the state to help spread the message about the union, bringing members from as far as Hagerstown in Western Maryland to engage in member-to-member organizing.
“This mobilization effort shows that state workers are eager to take control of their workplaces and have a say in determining their wages, benefits, working conditions, and more. I’m thankful to all the staff and members who gave their time and effort to reach out and engage members and potential members. It is only through hard work and aggressive membership outreach that we will continue to make MPEC the union state professionals deserve,” said MPEC President Jerry Smith.
AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell was pleased with the campaign. She pointed to the state federation’s cooperation with the MPEC’s efforts saying “I am immensely proud of each member who gave their time to reach out to fellow members and those colleagues who have not joined yet. It was my pleasure to be there to support the campaign and reiterate to MPEC members that the state federation will always be there to support them. AFT-Maryland’s efforts during this campaign serve as proof of our commitment to championing the union’s efforts.”
If you would like MPEC to also come to your worksite to educate members on current negotiations, to educate members of their existing rights, or for member activation and engagement, contact the union via email or phone at:
mpec@mpecmd.org or (410) 863-7171.
2023-11-21
photos and story by AFT-Maryland staff