The 2026 legislative session demonstrated the critical role organized labor plays in protecting public employees, defending collective bargaining, and ensuring lawmakers hear directly from the workers impacted by proposed legislation. Through coordinated union advocacy, member engagement, legislative outreach, and direct conversations with elected officials, MPEC members helped shape legislative outcomes affecting Maryland state employees and the public services they provide.

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One of the most important responsibilities of your union is ensuring that the Unit G contract is applied fairly and consistently. During 2025 and into 2026, MPEC has continued to challenge State actions that we believe conflict with the negotiated rights and benefits contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

When the president of Colorado WINS learned that the president of the United States might be targeting Denver next in his anti-immigration campaign of terror, she knew how she’d begin to mobilize. One simple thing Diane Byrne does is deck out her activists in matching T-shirts. Wearing union colors promotes team spirit and builds confidence, she says. The AFT Public Employees program and policy council, meeting in New York City Feb. 5-6, abounded with tips to help locals mobilize. PPC chair Gary Feist, president of North Dakota Public Employees, recommended finding members who can tell a personal story to draw media attention. With more media on the issue, he said, legislators will become more motivated to fix the problem.

MPEC is proud to announce gaining exclusive bargaining authorization through a successful campaign conducted over the past 2 years. Together with the MPEC organizing committee, we'll now represent over 320 Maryland State Department of Education professionals in exclusive negotiations over term, hours and conditions of work. Today, marks the conclusion and on a nearly 2 year campaign for the win. 

"I am happy to now be able to advocate for mutually beneficial clarity on teleworking policies, leave expectations on emergency closures, and mitigating discipline and termination conferences," said Field Representative, Sylvia Lake. Labor Management Cooperation has never been more necessary.

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma.