Faculty at community colleges across Maryland are choosing unionization as the best way to secure democracy in the workplace. Higher education professionals at Prince George’s Community College joined the ranks submitting paperwork declaring their intention to form a union with the Maryland Public Employee Labor Relations Board. This is the fruit of intense organizing efforts among the professors at the institution and AFT Maryland. Faculty had a rally celebrating their unionization and looking forward to collective bargaining.
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“Having a seat at the table and being able to provide supports to our students is most important. Our work today and the work we have done will lead to growing this campus with the representation we have here. More importantly, unionizing, having a seat at the table will ultimately allow our students to have the best education that they can have,” said AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell.
Prince George’s County Councilwoman Wala Blegay joined the rally and lent her support to the cause. Blegay said “I am here to say, I am in solidarity. You must have a voice no matter what. You are the workers, you do the job, as workers you keep the campus running. Without you we cannot move forward… what you know, what I know is that you are what keeps our wheels turning.”
Faculty made their voices heard with resounding chants announcing their presence on campus. Chants of “show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like” rung out as faculty and supporters announced the union’s presence on campus. “Most people here on campus know me as a troublemaker, but I only make good trouble. People call me problematic in the administration, but that’s because I identify problems and we try to solve them. But now, they can call me unionized” said Jonn Mack, an assistant professor and academic coordinator for the College’s Paramedic Program.
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Contact:
Ray Baker
Communications Director, AFT-Maryland
rbaker@aftmd.org | (410) 585-7862
Click here for the full press release.