News | AFT-Maryland

"Dear Voters" letter in Ebony Magazine

Dr. Lorretta Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer of AFT and Past President of AFT-Maryland, and Randi Weingarten, President of AFT National, wrote a letter for Ebony Magazine. The letter to voters is on why our community's young people need us at the ballot box today.

Have you made a plan to vote? Visit our website for a link to look up your polling place and other Election Day tools.

Click here to read the article on Ebony.com.

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AFTMD members join One Baltimore United Rally

Various organizations converged on City Hall on Monday, October 27th, to make a host of demands. Among the most important issues was the question of whether to privatize the city water supply. Other issues included demands for affordable housing, quality jobs, safe streets and quality education.

City Union of Bmore & AFTMD joined the One Baltimore United rally on Monday. #FamiliesFirst #goodjobs #1u pic.twitter.com/zwtiehKtDi
— AFT-Maryland (@AFT_Maryland) October 28, 2014

Hundreds Rally for Community School Funding

Hundreds descended on City Hall Tuesday afternoon, 10/21/14, to support a call for expansion of Baltimore's community schools. Principals, parents, elected officials, and students gave remarks calling on the City Council to support a resolution that would increase funding for community schools.

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On Sunday, The Washington Post published its endorsement of Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown for Governor, saying, "Mr. Brown’s breadth of experience, coupled with the lack of credibility at the heart of Mr. Hogan’s program, inform our endorsement."

"Mindful that many Maryland voters feel overtaxed, and that the state is widely seen as hostile to business, Mr. Brown has laid out an agenda that blends caution and ambition. Its centerpiece is a plan to expand pre-kindergarten for thousands more 4-year-olds. He has also advocated expanding the state’s transit infrastructure, notably by building the Red Line

What we're reading: Fri. 10/3/14

Here's some of what we're reading this week. More below the jump...

For more news clips, visit md.aft.org/news.

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Volunteers Get out the Vote

Retirees from the Baltimore Teachers Union phone-banked for candidates supported and endorsed by AFL-CIO. The retirees manned the phones at the AFT-Maryland Headquarters in Baltimore.

Calls were made to ensure that registered voters committed to voting for candidates that would support workers’ rights and collective bargaining. It was one of many days of phone banking in an effort to get out the vote for the upcoming November election.

For more photos, click here to visit our Facebook page.

AFTMD at Congressional Black Caucus conference

AFT-Maryland took a delegation led by President Marietta English to Washington D.C. for the 44th annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference. The conference featured brain trusts and issue forums that sought to address legislative concerns of those in the black community. Among the many panels held were Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) hosted event “Working Families Fight Back” and the American Federation of Teachers conversation simply titled “Education or Politics.”

The conference brought together thousands from across the nation from different sectors to have

What we're reading: Fri. 9/26/14

Here's some of what we're reading this week. More below the jump...

For more news clips, visit md.aft.org/news.

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AFT members speak out to reverse climate change

AFT-Maryland staffer, Janell Edmonds (below, center), joined hundreds of other AFT members and thousands of trade unionists at the People's Climate March in New York City on Sunday, September 21st. The AFT members wore blue shirts that said, "Climate Justice", and held signs and distributed materials that read "Climate change is real. TEACH SCIENCE."

Brian Bisson, vice president of the State Vocational Federation of Teachers in Connecticut, and his 19-year-old daughter, Lexy (pictured above, back right), brought hundreds of t-shirts she designed to inspire teachers and students. This summer

AFTMD joins rally for Social Security and Medicare

AFT Maryland affiliates including members of the Baltimore Teachers Union and the City Union of Baltimore joined with AFT National and other labor unions and progressive organizations at a Sept. 18 rally on Capitol Hill to protect seniors' hard earned benefits. Speakers included Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Keith Ellison (D-MN).

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