News

We pause today to reflect on those workers who have lost their lives on the job.

Workers Memorial Day is sacred to our labor family because we are all in proximity to someone who has been made ill, hurt, or lost their lives on the job. This is a day where workers across a range of industries and professions have been affected. Worker harm does not discriminate nor is it discerning of class and title. 

Read on for more.

First contracts are often the most difficult to negotiate; however for bargaining team members they are also very exciting. United Academics of Maryland - Prince George’s rallied on Thursday April 18, 2024 ahead of their first bargaining session. Faculty gathered at the Center for Performing Arts building, dressed in red to support those who would go in to negotiate with the College. The excitement was palpable as faculty greeted each other who arrived with smiles and salutations. 

Click through for photos from the rally and more!
 

Convention 2024:
Real Solutions for Maryland Labor and Communities

The AFT Maryland Triennial Convention for 2024 will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2024, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

See below for important information about the event and check back regularly for updates. Click through for more.
 

The thaw of spring is promising to all of us who found ourselves hibernating during the shorter winter days. Plenty of work was done during the winter months, but the extra daylight and warmer temperatures invigorates us all with an added boost of energy. It is natural at this time of year to feel renewed. In just over a week, the legislative session in Annapolis will wrap up, and our members working in Baltimore city schools (as well as students and education professionals across the region) are currently on Spring Break...

Read on for more!

Three AFT Maryland bargaining units representing state workers in Maryland recently signed contracts with the Moore Administration. The unions, Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC) Local 6197, AFT Healthcare Maryland Local 5197, and the Maryland School for the Deaf Faculty and Staff Association Local 4828 each were represented by their respective presidents and were joined by AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell. The occasion was historic for the Maryland School for the Deaf Faculty and Staff Association as this is their first contract.

Read more about the agreements between AFT Maryland state employee locals and the Moore Administration​.

State senators and delegates in Annapolis know the name of AFT Maryland. Our legislative efforts are an important part of the role we play for members. A number of key decisions impacting members’ work experiences are decided during the 90-day legislative session, and AFT Maryland actively supports, monitors, or opposes legislation impacting members. One thing that members and local leaders do not often have the chance to do is meet with legislators directly. The AFT Maryland Legislative Reception gives members a chance to talk face-to-face with elected officials.

Read on for photos from the event, and more.

Leap year provided an extra day for Black History Month this year and AFT Maryland took advantage of it. Partnering with the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys (BCSB), AFT Maryland once again celebrated Reading Opens the World Initiative with a Baltimore city school. The event featured remarks from principal Mr. Kelvin Bridgers who thanked AFT Maryland for facilitating the event and thanked Mr. Legaspi for attending the AFT Convention in Boston, Massachusetts where AFT kicked off the Reading Opens the World Initiative. 

Read on for photos and more!

Union Night in Annapolis - March 11th

Join with AFT-Maryland as we attend the AFL-CIO Union Night Rally in Annapolis on Monday, March 11th! Let your voice be heard with hundreds of union siblings demanding collective bargaining, ending wage theft, creating high road jobs, and dignity for all workers! Be sure to wear your union gear!

AFT Maryland is providing a bus from Baltimore... read on to RSVP and more!

The state federation continues to grow with the recent addition of more classifications of state employees, education professionals at the Maryland School for the Deaf, and higher education professionals from community colleges across the state. The additional members give events such as our annual Lobby Night more people, demonstrating more power and better positioning public employees to have their voices heard. AFT Maryland took two full buses to Annapolis to meet with legislators to advocate for the state federation’s legislative priorities. More members drove themselves and met us there to display the full power of our collective unions. 

Read on for photos and more about the event!

Women are a mighty force in the American labor movement. We kick off Women’s History Month celebrating the amazing women who have helped shape the labor movement across the nation and here in Maryland. Our state federation is teeming with powerful women activists. There are currently nine women members of AFT-Maryland’s Executive Board, as well as four of our locals have women presidents. AFT-Maryland has been blessed with exceptional leadership from my predecessors Lorretta Johnson and Marietta English and we are grateful for the woman leading our national organization, Randi Weingarten. The power of women in the labor movement does not stop there. The Maryland-Washington D.C. AFL-CIO is led by President Donna Edwards.

Maryland’s rich history of women in prominent leadership positions is not limited to the labor movement. We are at a watershed moment for women political leaders across the state...

Read on for MORE...