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Every worker deserves to be appreciated, especially by their union. Members of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses (BCFPHN), Local 5102, felt the love from their union at their worksites during National Nurses Week 2023. AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell along with AFT-Maryland organizer Janell Edmonds visited public health centers across Baltimore county delivering gifts that represented tokens of appreciation from the members’ union and the state federation.  President Campbell enjoyed visiting the worksites and talking with nurses. “I love getting out in the community and engaging with members. Our members are the backbone of our state and local governments. It was my pleasure to be with the nurses in Baltimore county to offer a token of appreciation on behalf of their union and the state federation,” Campbell said. CLICK THROUGH FOR THE REST, A VIDEO, AND > > > MORE

At the height of the pandemic the nation took notice of the valuable role that nurses play in our society. The high point of clanging pots and pans to celebrate healthcare professionals may be behind us, but the invaluable work nurses do on a daily basis is not forgotten by the communities they serve nor by the labor movement. AFT-Maryland is proud to celebrate all of the public health nurses in our federation that help keep our state and local communities safe and healthy.  Happy Nurses Appreciation Week! CLICK FOR > > > MORE

One look around the country will easily remind someone how important education is and how valuable our teachers are. Teaching students truth and supporting the whole child seems straightforward to educators like us, but is a hotly contested debate currently raging throughout the nation. [...] Here in Maryland, we may not be faced with the same challenges peers across the country face, but educators still have an uphill battle every day. Click through for the full Teacher Appreciation Week message > > > MORE

Public Service Recognition Week gives the country an opportunity to say thank you to the people who make our communities work. AFT-Maryland is grateful to call so many public employees our members. People in public service work on a daily basis to ensure our communities function and people have their needs met. We are fortunate to call workers in state and local government our members. For the full message from AFT-Maryland on Public Service Recognition Week, read > > > MORE

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is a vital part of the broad tapestry that is AFT-Maryland. We are grateful for our members from a community who work alongside other public employees to help make Maryland communities what they are today.  Click through for the full message from AFT-Maryland on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month > > > MORE

The Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel (PSRP) division of the AFT is filled with labor activists and leaders who give their all for students and families while helping shape the school community. Across the country, PSRPs do a number of jobs including but not limited to cafeteria workers, janitors, facility managers, office staff, and paraeducators. A collection of those activists came from across the nation to Baltimore, Maryland for the 2023 AFT PSRP Conference.  CLICK THROUGH TO READ > > > MORE

The race to the end of Maryland’s Legislative session is in full speed, but that hasn’t stopped AFT-Maryland from pushing for expanded collective bargaining for higher education workers at Maryland public institutions. The bill that would do that (HB275/SB274) is held up in the Senate Finance Committee, as is HB65, a bill granting collective bargaining to Maryland public library workers. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) collaborated with AFT-Maryland for a joint press conference urging the Senate Finance Committee to move those bills out of committee so public employees in libraries and state higher education institutions can have the right to choose collective bargaining.  CLICK THROUGH TO READ > > > MORE

Community schools provide wrap-around services that help close the gap between students' needs and their ability to focus on school and learning. Baltimore is fortunate to have a number of community schools that serve students and families as well as the communities the schools are in. One of those schools is Wolfe Street Academy, a school that went from a low-ranking status several years ago to top-ranking, going remarkably from the 77th rank elementary school to the 2nd in the span of a decade. The school was the site of a visit from AFT President Randi Weingarten. She was joined on the visit by AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell and Baltimore Teachers Union President Diamonté Brown. CLICK TO READ > > > MORE