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Members of CUB's Retiree Chapter recently attended AFT's annual New Retiree Leader Seminar. (Pictured are CUB Retiree Chapter President Laverne Foster and member Donald Morris, with Ruby Strickland from Orange County Florida CTA.)

The annual seminar is an opportunity for leaders of newer chapters to talk about how to engage members so that they will be more active in their chapters, and to learn how to build connections with both active members and the community. The goal is to help retirees to continue their support and work with their local union, says Lauren Luchi, manager of the AFT's

On Monday February 29, members of AFT Healthcare-Maryland went to Annapolis to fight back against threats to privatize the Western Maryland Hospital Center. For union member employed at WMHC, this would mean a loss of hard-fought rights and protections for workers.

Members argued the quality of care for residents of western Maryland was too important to be decided just by cost-cutting measures. Also of concern is that if one state hospital can be privatized, undoubtedly other state facilities and services will also be privatized at great harm to the citizens of Maryland and the state workers

Over a hundred members of the unions that make up AFT-Maryland took to Annapolis to engage their elected representatives. Lobby Night as it is called gave members and activists an opportunity to extend their voices directly to the people that they elected. Nearly all of the locals that make up AFT-Maryland were represented and union members did not hesitate to ask Delegates and State Senators tough questions. 

 

Members were there to press elected officials on state budget priorities, school vouchers, education assessments, community schools, due process for state employees at the Maryland

The 2016 Maryland State Legislative Session is full of challenges for public employees. Help us move our agenda for working families as we call for:

• better funding for Baltimore City Public Schools,
• safe work and learning environments for all state workers, educational professionals, and students,
• due process rights for Maryland School for the Deaf teachers,
• eliminating bullying from management in the workplace,
• and much more!

Read about our positions on the issues by clicking the following links:

• State Budget
• Education Assessments
• Community Schools
• School for the Deaf
• Workplace Bullying
• Partially Elected

The Baltimore AFL-CIO will decide which candidate will receive Labor's endorsement for Mayor of Baltimore. The unions of the AFT-Maryland, including the Baltimore Teachers Union, the City Union of Baltimore, and other state and county unions, will help make that decision.

Click on the names of the Mayoral candidates below to review their responses to AFT-Maryland's 2016 Candidate Questionnaire for Baltimore City Races.

• Mack Clifton
• Sheila Dixon
• Elizabeth Embry
• Patrick Gutierrez
• Nick Mosby
• Catherine Pugh
• Carl Stokes
• David Warnock
• Calvin Young

For more information about AFT-Maryland's participation in the

Delegates and State Senators in Annapolis made their way to the Maryland Inn Monday night for an AFT-Maryland legislative reception. It was well attended by labor leaders and elected officials alike. The staff and service at the Maryland Inn was superb as politicians got a chance to meet with important figures in Baltimore and ostensibly Maryland's labor movement.

Local presidents such as John Ripley (BCFPE), Karen Pilecki (BCFPHN), Maria Mathias (MPEC), Yvonne Rice (CUB), and Marietta English (AFT Maryland and BTU) were in attendance. Conversation around serious political issues were minimal

As the race for elected office in Baltimore City continues, AFT-Maryland hosted a candidate forum for those running for City Council in Districts 2, 3, 12, and 13. Among those in attendance were Brandon Scott, Tony Chrisitan, Marques Dent, Jermaine Jones, Ryan Dorsey, George Van Hook, Jason Pyeron, Gary Crum, Shannon Sneed, and George Johnson. Members listened as each candidate presented their vision for Baltimore City and the specific districts they seek to represent.

The forum tackled mainly education questions including the question of funding for Baltimore City Public Schools. Some