News

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

AFT-Maryland joined with labor activists from across the Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO for the council's annual food and toy holiday drive.

For AFT-Maryland, community activism is labor activism.

MORE

Faculty at Frederick Community College have formed a new union through United Academics of Maryland and AFT-Maryland, and are preparing to negotiate their first contract. Union members and supporters gathered to cheer on the bargaining team as they head into negotiations with the administration. The union is supported by a diverse group of faculty members who are united in their goal of improving working conditions for all.

Click through for photos and more...

MORE

AFT-Maryland welcomes full-time faculty from Frederick and Howard Community Colleges into the state federation. Following legislation in 2021 granting collective bargaining rights to full-time community college faculty, AFT-Maryland is proud to be the exclusive bargaining agent for higher education full-time faculty at the community colleges in Frederick and Howard counties respectively.

Read on for more about the unionization efforts.

MORE

Summer is upon us, and parents, children and teachers are winding down from what has been an exhausting and fully operational school year—the first since the devastating pandemic. The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 has affected our students’ and families’ well-being and ignited the politics surrounding public schools. All signs point to the coming school year unfolding with the same sound and fury, and if extremist culture warriors have their way, being even more divisive and stressful.

MORE

Shop stewards are the backbone of any labor union and necessary for the union to wield the power in the workplace that members deserve. Knowing that, AFT-Maryland convened a statewide training for   public employee stewards to equip them with the skills and resources they need to help their colleagues as best as possible. Members from across the state, working in diverse industries from higher education professionals to correctional staff, came to Baltimore for the day-long training.

Click for video, photos, and more!

MORE

AFT-Maryland continued our practice of school tours during the first week of the new school year. The purpose of the tour is to welcome students and staff back to school, and to remind education professionals that their union is here to support them during the school year.

Read on to take a look at a recap of our visits, including photos & a video.

MORE

The Baltimore metropolitan area’s water governance may take on a new form. What that means for City Union of Baltimore, Local 800 (CUB) members who work diligently to service the water and wastewater infrastructure is yet to be determined. However, CUB joined forces with a coalition of advocacy groups to hold a press conference demanding greater transparency of the Baltimore Regional Water Task Force, a body that was authorized by state elected officials during the 2023 legislative session. The coalition featured environmental, racial, and economic justice advocates including representatives from Food and Water Watch, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Services.

MORE

Rain may have canceled Wolfe Street Academy’s Wolfe Fest, but it was not going to stop AFT-Maryland from distributing books to students as a part of the Reading Opens the World program. The state federation joined the south Baltimore school for their Family Social Studies Night. The event brought families into the school to inform parents about the curriculum students are learning. The night also served as a great way to connect the Wolfe Street school community with the larger south Baltimore community. Students presented displays of their work as well as made videos that families and loved ones watched demonstrating what they’ve learned in Social Studies this school year. AFT-Maryland was on hand with a beautiful display of books for families to take home.  CLICK TO READ > > > MORE