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We are only days away from the return of students to classrooms. It is an exciting time for every education professional and public employee who works with Baltimore City Public School System students and families. The combination of nerves and excitement leading up to the first day of school is an unmatched feeling that only those of us who have experienced it can relate to. Rarely do anxiety and optimism take up space so closely together, but the run-up to the first day of school creates an uncanny mix of emotions quelled only by the certainty that opening day will come and all of our practice and preparation will meet the returning energy of our young people.

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AFT Maryland delegates and leaders took to Houston, Texas to join with thousands of other AFT members for the national union’s biennial convention. AFT Maryland was prominently featured in signage as well as on the convention floor. The state federation turned heads throughout the nation with our organizing of public employees from the Maryland School for the Deaf, various community college faculty, and residents and fellows at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

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The workplace death of Baltimore city Department of Public Works employee Ronald Silver II struck a solemn nerve for the City Union of Baltimore (CUB), recalling the tragic loss of CUB member Trina Cunningham in a workplace death five years ago. In the wake of Mr. Silver’s passing, AFT Maryland, CUB, AFSCME, and elected officials from the Baltimore City Council held a press conference addressing the issue and outlining what needs to be done to assure there are no city workplace deaths.

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Following President Biden's decision to no longer seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, the AFT Executive Council moved swiftly in recommending endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. When presented before the delegates of the convention, AFT delegates voted resoundingly to endorse Vice President Harris. She has the support of the 1.8 million member union.

Closer to home, AFT Maryland will continue get out the vote (GOTV) efforts here in Maryland. "We will be hands on deck to elect Angela Alsobrooks to the United States Senate and Kamala Harris to the White House. We will also offer our support to our neighbors in Pennsylvania and Virginia to turn out voters to support Vice President Harris in the upcoming November election," said AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell. 

Independence Day and the celebration of our country’s founding is a beautiful metaphor for the labor movement. In forming the country, various interests and people were forced to collaborate around a united idea to birth what has become the United States of America. Farmers from western Massachusetts had to align their interests with merchants from Pennsylvania who themselves had to join with southerners who made their money trading on people and land. Each had their own unique issue with the mother country, yet none alone could stand up to the world’s strongest empire at the time.

The labor movement, much like the original thirteen colonies, can only demonstrate its power in unity. 

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The union is not only a home for active workers; it is also a place for retirees. AFT Maryland has three active retiree chapters in the state federation and each was represented at a retiree meeting held at the state federation office. Retired members from the Maryland Classified Employees Association (MCEA-Council 152), Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU-R), and the City Union of Baltimore (CUB-R) gathered for food, fellowship, and important updates on how to actively support labor, electoral, and community efforts of AFT Maryland. The gathering was organized by AFT Maryland organizer Janell Edmonds with support from the state federation.

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Once finals are over and grades are turned in, you may think a professor’s work is finished for the summer. That’s not completely true for community college professors who are a part of the United Academics of Maryland (UAMD). For them, the work continues into the summer. On Saturday, June 15, 2024, professors representing community colleges across Maryland including Prince George’s, Howard, Hagerstown, Frederick, and Baltimore City attended a steward training for higher education professionals.

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The Juneteenth holiday should forever hold a special place in the hearts of labor activists. It is indeed a holiday to commemorate the end of American slavery, but we should never lose sight that American slavery had as much to do with labor rights as it did with race-based discrimination. Marking the end of the civil war with this holiday is a celebration of the end of state sanctioned race-based exploitation of vulnerable workers. The effects of the end of slavery reverberated throughout the entire United States, not merely because it marked a shift in the moral direction of the country, but because it recalibrated work relationships all across the nation, and particularly in southern states. 

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The celebration of Pride month every year in June reminds us of the need to make our workplaces safe and inclusive for everyone; this is particularly true for workers in state and local governments. Public workplaces must be hospitable and welcoming to each of us regardless of our sexual orientation or gender expression. AFT Maryland has been at the forefront of the labor movement in Maryland ensuring that our members feel supported and confident of their place in the AFT Maryland and the larger labor family.

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The AFT Maryland 2024 Triennial Convention has concluded. It was a day of deep labor engagement among delegates representing the more than 15,000 members who make up the AFT Maryland. Attendees heard from our state federation president Kenya Campbell, as well as remarks from the keynote speaker, Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins. The day-long convention was held in AFT Maryland’s new facilities in Windsor Mill, Maryland.

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