Maryland School for the Deaf Faculty and Staff Association (MSDFSA) VP
Jackie Guers made sure the word was spread throughout her campus that Wednesday, February 26, 2020 was Union Day. Faculty and staff at the Columbia campus turned out in great numbers to meet AFT-Maryland staff.
Frank Pratka, an organizer who has been working with the local for a number of years, spoke with and engaged a number of members he has worked with before, and
Aaron Ray worked intently to get contact information and sign up new members during the event.
Once most of the staff finished their responsibilities for the day, a strong contingent filed into the multi-purpose room to hear what the union representatives had to say. The conversation was layered, robust, and covered a number of questions regarding the staff’s work experience as well as the union’s role in improving the quality of work life. A theme representatives from AFT-Maryland consistently reiterated was the importance of contacting state legislators because of the power and direction they have on decisions that affect MSD employees.
Employees shared their concerns about a range of topics including the lack of step increases, not being sufficiently staffed and resourced, and a curiosity on how pending Kirwan legislation will affect them. The AFT-Maryland staff was happy to engage the members and employees at the Columbia campus and asked for their help to fight in Annapolis. AFT-Maryland is excited about the potential of the members in MSDFSA.
2020-02-26
