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2018 AFT/BTU Teacher Leaders Research Showcase

A hallmark of any union is member engagement. That can come in many ways. For the Baltimore Teachers Union, one way it comes is through the AFT/BTU Teacher Leaders Program. This program engages BTU members through ways to conduct research, learn more about unionism, and be better teachers for the students of Baltimore city.

At the end of every school year, the teachers who participate in the program share their research and conclusions. This year was no different, but one thing that did make this cohort group unique were the number of speakers and presenters who met with them throughout the

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AFT-Maryland 2018 State Convention Wrap-Up

The AFT-Maryland held their Triennial Constitutional Convention the weekend of April 20th. The convention celebrated the theme Standing on the Shoulders of Labor Giants: Fighting for Our Future. It featured remarks by labor leaders in and around Baltimore, including Donna Edwards, President of the Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO as well as Jermaine Jones, President of the Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO.

Leaders from years past were not only mentioned but celebrated. Delegates and guests heard from AFT National Secretary Treasurer Dr. Lorretta Johnson, who reminded the audience that the people

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Union Night Rally in Annapolis

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"52817","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","style":"width: 100%; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;"}}]]Hundreds of union members took to Lawyer’s Mall in front of the Maryland State Capitol to show the power and strength of labor. The Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO convened the sea of solidarity. The locals of AFT-Maryland were in attendance and their voices were heard and their presence felt. The federation was acknowledged and received shout outs from a number of elected officials.

Among the politicians who addressed the crowd were... Click to read 

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Celebrating Women's History Month

In honor of Women's History Month, AFT-Maryland has been acknowledging women in the federation who are leaders in their local unions and in the labor movement.

This month, we've honored

Click on the links to read more about these outstanding women in the Maryland labor movement. 

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Labor Union Women: LaKebra Clark

LaKebra Clark is a paraprofessional educator at Pimlico Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, MD. She is also a committed and loyal member of the Baltimore Teachers Union. Her passion for young people is high and that is evident in the work she does going above and beyond her duties to meet the needs of the students in her school. This school year she organized a shoe drive so the children of her school could have a basic need that unfortunately so many of them went without.

She was also a pivotal and instrumental member of the BTU’s “Bringing Back Baltimore” or B3 Campaign, which brought back

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Labor Union Women: Graceann Rehbein

Graceann Rehbein has been an employee of Baltimore County Government for nearly 28 years and has been an active member of Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees for 12 years. In addition to her active membership, she is a dedicated COPE contributor. Graceann has served as a Delegate, as a Steward, and on the Election Committee for BCFPE.

Beyond her work for her union, Graceann is a political and community activist who volunteers in organizing community events. Because of her community work she was awarded the Good Neighbor Week Award in 2009.

Women's History Month celebrates the great

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AFL-CIO Union Night in Annapolis April 2

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"52440","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 379px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 5px; float: right;"}}]]Come join with your sisters and brothers in Labor April 2, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. for Union Night in Annapolis at Lawyer’s Mall.

Bus will leave from AFT-Maryland, 5800 Metro Drive, 21215, at 5:15 p.m. and return from Annapolis at 9:00 p.m. Food and soft drinks will be served on the bus.

After the mass labor rally, we will lobby our legislators on important issues facing public employees, teachers, and PSRPs in Baltimore and across the State of Maryland.

Some of our issues include:

  • Education Funding & the Kirwan Commission
  • Ending Wage Stagnation and instituting competitive pay for Public Employees
  • Fighting proposed conversions of the Teacher and State Employee Retirement System from a Pension to a 401(k) plan
  • Solving the staffing crisis in state governmental agencies
  • Defending the right of public employees to unionize and participate in their unions

TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT:
Contact Todd Reynolds at treynolds@aftmd.org 
or call (443) 320-4719 

 

For an event flyer, click here.

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Maryland Fight for $15

As a federation of public sector labor unions, the AFT-Maryland is committed to fair wages for all of its members. That commitment extends to the entire collective of Maryland workers. That’s why the AFT-Maryland has signed on and supports the Maryland Fight for 15. This call to raise the minimum wage for all workers to $15.00 per hour. This wage will allow families living on the edge or near poverty to begin to climb the ladder of social mobility.

On Thursday, March 8, 2018, the Maryland Fight for 15 Coalition held a press conference in advance of a hearing in the Maryland state Senate. The

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BTU Members testify against Guns in Classrooms

Following the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, communities and legislatures across the country are trying to develop ways to ensure student and teacher safety in the school building. One suggestion brought forth in the Maryland House of Delegates was a bill allowing teachers and educational staff to be armed. There were a number of supporters for the bill, but few more compelling than hearing from teachers and students themselves.

Following testimony from Montgomery County Public Schools students, teachers from Baltimore City Public Schools gave

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Labor Union Women: Karen Heppner

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"52707","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 20%; height: 20%; float: right;"}}]]Karen Heppner has demonstrated the type of leadership and activism that would make any union member proud. She has been a registered nurse working for the state of Maryland at the Eastern Shore Hospital Center for over 20 years. When the state refused to pay the negotiated retention bonus to nurses at her facility, she led the fight to force management to honor the contract. She organized nurses at her facility, where a class action complaint was filed, which led to a decision in the union’s favor from an independent arbitrator.

CLICK TO READ

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