News

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.

Our voices will not be heard unless we make them listen. To gain the respect we deserve throughout state agencies, we need more union leaders. We are calling on members who want to get more involved and become union leaders at their worksite. Steward training will be conducted from 8:30 am - 5 pm , January 28-29, 2026. 

READ ON for more & to indicate your interest in attending.

 A long-standing campaign to secure exclusive bargaining rights for Unit G professionals at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has reached a critical milestone.

Since before January 2025, member organizers have worked diligently to establish union representation so Unit G employees at MSDE can collectively negotiate over wages, benefits, and working conditions.

READ ON for more information.

On December 31, the MPEC bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the State. Despite a $3 billion budget deficit, we fought to ensure that state employees were not asked to shoulder the burden of closing the gap.

CLICK THROUGH to see What This Tentative Agreement Achieves.

Scarlett Ahmed has started counting the number of people sleeping outside the Queens Career Center in New York City when she arrives at work in the morning.

“It was already bad,” she said. “But this? This will just add to it.”

This is an important week for AFT Maryland as we proudly celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Appreciation Week, and Public Service Workers Recognition Week. AFT Maryland represents dedicated workers who keep our communities running: educators, healthcare workers, state employees, and civil servants. You are the backbone of our schools, hospitals, agencies, and institutions, and the value you bring to Maryland cannot be overstated.

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