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Photo of AFT President Randi Weingarten addressing TEACH 2023

The AFT has always been a solutions-driven union, and our new campaign, launched during TEACH on July 21, proves it once again with a fresh, practical approach to strengthening public education. As AFT President Randi Weingarten pointed out during her keynote speech, the $5 million, yearlong campaign, “Real Solutions for Kids and Communities,” stands up against attacks on public schools and offers real-world solutions to build up, rather than break down, our communities.

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Randi Weingarten at a Massachusetts high school

Summer is upon us, and parents, children and teachers are winding down from what has been an exhausting and fully operational school year—the first since the devastating pandemic. The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 has affected our students’ and families’ well-being and ignited the politics surrounding public schools. All signs point to the coming school year unfolding with the same sound and fury, and if extremist culture warriors have their way, being even more divisive and stressful.

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What unions do

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In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

Randi Weingarten and NYC teacher Tamara Simpson

Attacks on public education in America by extremists and culture-war peddling politicians have reached new heights (“lows” may be more apt), but they are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended not just to undermine public education but to destroy it.

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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"42452","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 25%; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right;"}}]]Join AFT-Maryland for
LOBBY NIGHT IN ANNAPOLIS
Monday, January 30th, 2017

Buses will depart from AFT-Maryland at 5:15 p.m.
4701 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215

Sandwiches & Soft drinks will be provided on the bus.

For more information and to RESERVE YOUR SEAT on the bus, contact Todd Reynolds (443)320-4719 or treynolds@aftmd.org.

IN ADDITION....  

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The 2016 AFT National Convention in Minneapolis, MN was one for the ages. Not only was it the 100th anniversary of the union, but there were a number of high profile elected officials and social justice activists that addressed the convention. The members even took to the streets themselves to put the rhetoric into action. The AFT-Maryland delegation was not only well represented but they also had a strong impact on the presentations and displays during the convention.

The convention kicked off with President Randi Weingarten’s state of the union address. Included in her remarks were a number

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The second day of the AFT National Convention in Minneapolis, MN was one that focused on human and civil rights. Important national figures such as Rashard Robinson from Color of Change and Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin both addressed the convention. They spoke about the need for justice and calming of violence from police against citizens as well as retaliatory attacks on police.  They were well received and members were eager to hear from them; particularly Fulton, given the resilient strength she’s shown in the very public murder of her son.
 
The action on human and civil rights
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Day One of the AFT biannual National Convention got off to a rousing start. Delegates and visitors from all across the nation convened on Minneapolis, MN, for the 100th anniversary of the organization (#AFT100). Members kicked off the morning with a breakfast hosted by the Baltimore Teachers Union. AFT-Maryland President Marietta English addressed the breakfast and laid out what the members from Maryland could expect moving forward during the convention.

The convention proper kicked off in a rousing fashion with President Randi Weingarten’s state of the union address. Included in her remarks

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Citizens across Maryland took to the polls on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 to elect new leaders for everything from President of the United States to local judges. Members of AFT-Maryland, and supporters of candidates across Baltimore City and Baltimore County volunteered their efforts and time to back union endorsed candidates.

Union members, staff, and activists volunteered at strategic positions to support candidates in contested races that face low turnout. Shannon Sneed had a strong presence at polling locations to show support for her. She was endorsed by AFT-Maryland, and members went on

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