News

Smears vs. solutions

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.

On September 8, 2022 the BCFPE Executive Board approved the 2023 General Membership Meeting dates as follows:

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. [Zoom Meeting] Meeting Notes
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. [Zoom Meeting] Meeting Notes
Friday, September 1, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Meeting Notes

NOTE: 2023 is an election year for the BCFPE Executive Board. Executive Board Nominations will be due at the September 1st scheduled meeting. For the full schedule and information, CLICK HERE FOR > > >

The BCFPE membership has agreed to a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Baltimore county that comes with unprecedented gains for county workers. The agreement gives county workers in the bargaining unit scheduled cost of living adjustment (COLA) increases for pay schedules 1, 1C, and 1E for fiscal year (FY) 2024. Additionally, there will be guaranteed schedule Steps and Longevities for FY24 and FY25, guarantee of no furloughs or layoffs for FY24 and FY25, as well as grade increases and added 13-year longevity for pay schedule 1C and 1E. This contract was ratified by the membership by a margin of 96% on May 26, 2023. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND > > > MORE

Volunteering for the BCFPE Election Committee

Pursuant to the BCFPE constitution, if you are a member in good standing and wish to, you may volunteer for the Election Committee to accept nominations for Board Members. Please submit your name to John Ripley at jripley@aft-maryland.org by June 2, 2023.

The election committee will be selected at the scheduled June 8th Executive Board meeting.

Please contact John Ripley at jripley@aft-maryland.org with any questions you may have concerning volunteering for the Committee.

BCFPE President John Ripley and the Executive Board would like to thank Baltimore County Correctional Personnel for their service every day and offer special recognition during National Correctional Appreciation Week. Our Correctional Professionals stand a post fearlessly every day and faithfully protect the citizens of Baltimore County. CLICK TO READ > > > MORE

Tentative Agreement reached with Baltimore County FY2024 to FY2025

BCFPE has reached a Tentative Agreement with Baltimore County for a two-year contract extension through FY2025. The BCFPE Negotiation Committee and the BCFPE Executive Board have unanimously accepted and recommend the Tentative Agreement for ratification by BCFPE Members. Full information regarding the Tentative Agreement, Informational Zoom meeting, and the ratification process will be forthcoming. CLICK THROUGH FOR INFO, DATES AND > > > MORE

Public Service Recognition Week, May 7-13, 2023

Public Service Recognition Week is the first full week of May, and BCFPE honors all of our members this week and every week for their service to the County and their communities. Public Employees are "Always Getting The Job Done"! CLICK FOR A SPECIAL OFFER and > > > MORE

National Telecommunicators Week 2023

National Public Safety Telecommunication Week April 9-15, 2023 BCFPE THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE “THE TRUE FIRST RESPONDERS” MORE

What unions do

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.

Family Healthcare WIN for Baltimore County Public Employees

Baltimore County Public Employees hired after 2007 are getting long needed relief thanks to the work of the Baltimore County Labor Health Care Review Committee. John Ripley, President of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees and an AFT-Maryland VP at-large, served as the chair of the committee. The committee worked to remedy the bifurcated healthcare plans adversely affecting those hired after 2007. When asked what this means, President Ripley simply replied, “this is a great win for labor!”

Under the old plan, county employees hired after 2007 were paying more than $3,000 more