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We welcome March with a warm embrace in part because it is National Women’s History Month. AFT-Maryland is fortunate that we don’t have to look too far to find inspirational and encouraging models of leadership. We are fortunate that one of the greatest titans in the history of the American labor movement, Dr. Lorretta Johnson, is one of our own. Her tenacity has delivered meaningful results for working people across Maryland for generations. She has not been selfish with her wisdom or skill as she worked side by side with Marietta English to deliver real results for public employees. Mrs. English dedicated decades of her life to Baltimore city’s children, and to labor causes in Baltimore and throughout the state. We are grateful to use their examples as a north star to guide our path and it is my personal honor to have learned from these women and continue their legacy of leadership.  Our state federation is grateful that we don’t merely have to rely on the past to find examples of outstanding leadership. Many of our locals are led by powerful women who fight for members and stand in solidarity with other labor siblings. MORE
open letter to Governor Hogan

On Monday, April 6, 2020, AFT-Maryland sent this open letter to Gov. Larry Hogan regarding local and state public employees in the state of Maryland.

AFT-Maryland is a federation of public employees that represents nearly 20,000 workers across the state of Maryland. Our members work in the fields of education, public safety, healthcare and more.

For follow-up or interviews with any local union leaders of AFT-Maryland please contact: Ray Baker, Director of Communication, AFT-Maryland, rbaker@aftmd.org.


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Classroom teacher

Welcome Back to a New School Year!

I can only imagine how excited everyone is for the start of the new school year. Although we enjoy our summer break there is no greater feeling than returning to our students and setting them on the path to success. I hope your summer break gave you the time to rest, reflect, and recharge. We are best able to pour into our scholars when we have taken the time to tend to ourselves. The time away from our students, while re-energizing, has also made us excited for their return to the classroom. Vacation was fun, but that does not mean that we also did not miss the joy that our students bring to our lives. 

As we embark on the 2023-24 school year, we do so knowing...

Read on for the rest of President Campbell's Back to School 2023 message > > >

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Union Night at Camden Yards 2023

Labor unions are a team, just like the Baltimore Orioles, and on a humid Friday night in July Baltimore’s team of working people, the Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO, went to Camden Yards to cheer on Baltimore’s baseball team.


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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

Historic Win for Workers at Maryland School for the Deaf

Maryland School for the Deaf members overwhelmingly voted to unionize and they chose AFT. The union election victory is just the first step to getting the demands they deserve. 

Check out this video recap of Maryland School for the Deaf workers voting yes on unionization​.


The Baltimore Sun reports that technical glitches with the state's roll out of the new Health Care plan. Maryland's Health Secretary Joshua Sharfstein reprted to a legislative oversight committee on Monday that "the contractors have not delivered what they said they would deliver," and that when the current contract runs out at the end of March, the state may seek a new IT contractor to perform the service. The Baltimore Sun reports that the additional costs of the sputtering roll out have inflated the overall bill for the new plan to $261 million.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

2/11/14

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MPEC Wraps Member Engagement Blitz

The Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC) Local 6197 recently wrapped up a successful and productive member outreach campaign. The initiative was a collaborative effort between the AFT-Maryland and the local union. During the campaign, staff from the state federation and the local were joined by member-activists who volunteered their time to connect with colleagues and potential members to inform them about the ongoing contract negotiations, to communicate the union’s priorities, and to encourage those who were not members to join the union.  

Read on for more about the member engagement blitz...

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AFT Supports SAG-AFTRA Workers

“I’m going to tell you a story about the oldest profession… storytelling. What else could you have thought?” said Elliot Bales, a member of SAG-AFTRA as he opened his remarks. One would think a rally in support of striking workers might start with a sad or more militant tone, but not when the striking workers are also some of the most creative and expressive workers in our society. The SAG-AFTRA Washington Mid-Atlantic local hosted a rally at the office of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) local 487 in Baltimore. Local labor leaders and supporters from across the city came out to stand in solidarity and show their support. 

Click through to read...

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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