Members of the Maryland Professional Employees Council (MPEC) gave of their time and energy Saturday, August 29, 2015 to support the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. The group raised funds and manned a table during a fundraising walk to raise awareness and money for research to combat this very serious illness.

MPEC partnered with various community groups including a Baltimore-based group called The Ladies of Distinction to do more than just raise money and awareness for sickle cell. They also passed out books to the youth in attendance as well as registered citizens to vote. MPEC

The State has extended the 2015 Wellness Plan healthy activities deadline to December 31, 2015. This means that participants now have an additional 90 days to complete the following activities for 2015:

1. Select a Primary Care Physician (PCP)
2. Complete the health risk assessment; and
3. Review the results of the health risk assessment with their PCP.

For those individuals not completing the activities by December, the $50 surcharge will be delayed until April.  Details will be available on the DBM website and the medical carriers' websites.

Those deadlines are as follows:

The 9/30/15 deadline for Wellness

Continuing with AFT efforts to promote democracy and add more voices to the political process locally and nationally, AFT-Maryland Political Coordinator Todd Reynolds led a voter registration drive Sunday August 16th at Macedonia Baptist Church in Baltimore, Md. The drive was but a small example of the "Reclaim Baltimore" initiative introduced at the 2015 AFT-Maryland Convention.

The initiative focused on revitalizing the city in the wake of the unrest after the Freddie Gray death. One aspect was to increase citizen participation in the political process. With a Presidential, Senate, Mayoral &

The leaders of five major unions issued a statement June 30 expressing their disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear a case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, that challenges fees non-union members pay.

Click here to read more.

During the month of July, 2015, Baltimore City Public  Schools will be hosting a series of community conversations around Baltimore City to discuss how school police can work with schools, students, and the community to keep students safe and in school during the day.

In the 2015 Maryland Legislative Session, a bill was introduced to allow Police to carry guns in schools. The legislation didn't make it out of committee, but we anticipate that similar legislation will be introduced again next session and that this will be a major topic of discussion at these Community Conversations this month.

Th

Calling all MPEC union members
who serve as team coaches in their community:

We currently have available up to 25 Baltimore ORIOLES game tickets for two separate dates to distribute free to two worthy teams. Dates are August 17, 2015 or August 20, 2015.

If you are an MPEC member and a coach of a Little League and/or softball league team, or other organized boys, girls, or mixed youth league team and want to take your players “Out To The Ball Game”, contact us by phone or email by July 15th. Describe your team, pick a game date and include the reason you think MPEC should select your team for the