News

BTU Members Testify to get Bargaining for Class Size

Class sizes make a huge difference in an educator’s ability to reach and connect with their students. Unfortunately for Maryland educators however, class sizes are non-negotiable and cannot be collectively bargained. House Bill 890 (HB890) seeks to change that. While a number of education professionals and advocates from across the state offered testimony detailing how necessary this legislation is for classroom instructors, the most visually compelling testimony came from AFT-Maryland members in the Baltimore Teachers Union (Local 340).

BTU member Nathan Ferrell testifies via Zoom on the

March has been a busy month for AFT affiliates in Annapolis. With the 90-day legislative session going strong, many of our unions have appeared virtually or headed to Annapolis to testify on bills that could meaningfully change working conditions and benefits for our public employees. Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees (BCFPE Local 4883) President John Ripley and Area Vice President Kasia Gatchalian testified on two bills that would affect 911 operators in Baltimore county.

BCFPE President John Ripley, Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-17), and BCFPE Area VP Kasia Gatchalian

The first is

The Lunar New Year is a time when many of our members and millions of people across the world gather with their families to celebrate the coming year. They do this while hoping the coming year brings greater safety, happiness, and prosperity. This year is the Year of the Tiger, specifically the Water Tiger. Those born in the Year of the Tiger are believed to be charming, competitive, and brave. Those are qualities we hope each of us can embody at some point this year. Tiger years are auspicious years with the strength and force of the tiger. May we all embody that strength in the coming year. As with other holidays, the ongoing pandemic may make celebrating with family difficult, but... CLICK TO READ MORE

BCFPHN holds Student Debt Clinic

Student debt affects millions of Americans and many are looking for ways to alleviate the heavy burden that student loan debt has become. AFT offers a range of ways to help members who are trying to work around their student debt. Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses (BCFPHN) Local 5102 tapped into those resources when they invited Greg Goff from AFT Higher Education to deliver a virtual presentation to members. Click to read MORE

BTU holds press conference regarding COVID-19 safety in schools

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has made returning to work a challenge for public employees. Perhaps no place is more challenged than our schools. The Baltimore Teachers Union held a press conference to call for enhanced PPE, greater testing among students, and increased opportunities to vaccinate students.The union believes these strategies will reduce the spread of Covid-19 and will help to keep members and the students they work with safe. The press conference featured a number of political leaders, community organizations, and parent groups who are all allies to the union and remain committed to ensuring that if students are in school, it is done as safely as possible. Click to read MORE

Member Meet-and-Greet Events Continue

Members continue to hear from Maryland gubernatorial candidates during AFT-Maryland’s candidate meet-and-greet events. These virtual conversations provide members the opportunity to hear from candidates for Governor about their vision for the state in 2022 and beyond. Last week, public employees heard from Comptroller Peter Franchot and former U.S. Secretary of Education John King. Click through to read MORE

Governor Candidate Forums Held

AFT-Maryland kicked off our first two nights of members-only gubernatorial candidate meet-and-greet events last week. AFT-Maryland members who work in the field of public education had a chance to hear from a few of the candidates who are running to be the next governor of Maryland. Candidates discussed a range of public education policy issues including how to ... MORE

BTU Holds International Teachers Event

In October, members of the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU Local 340) International Teachers Committee gathered at the BTU office to welcome 27 newly recruited teachers from the Philippines. The committee has been working to orient the new teachers to services and benefits BTU can provide to support them in their various roles working for Baltimore City Schools. The BTU International Teachers Committee is a group specifically dedicated to ensuring new international teachers acclimate to their new teaching environment. The Committee operates the way the union does for members across the district, just on a smaller scale. It ensures there’s a community that will... MORE

MCEA Holds Training for MTA Officers

Union business proceeds even on weekends in some instances, and that was the case for the Maryland Classified Employees Association (MCEA, Local 1935) as they held a Saturday training and informational session for MTA police officers who are members of the local. The session covered a number of topics that served as both a welcome and informative introduction to union activity. MCEA and AFT-Maryland staff walked MTA officers through sessions on collective bargaining, union structure, insurance, as well as grievances. These are vital sessions for public employees accessing the privileges and benefits of union membership. Those in attendance left with a clearer understanding of the structure of their union, a better sense of the relationship their local has with AFT-Maryland, AFT, and the AFL-CIO as well as... MORE

BTU Distributes Solidarity Boxes to Members

The Baltimore Teachers Union reached out to members by handing out solidarity boxes. These boxes included a card with a message from President Diamonté Brown, as well as a BTU t-shirt, member benefits guide, and a calendar. Also available to take home were masks, sanitizer, buttons, and the most recent copy of the BTU Educator.

The solidarity box giveaway expands on initiatives started earlier in the year. Members received solidarity boxes in the mail, but because of pandemic related delays some members never received their boxes. This was an opportunity for those members who didn’t receive