News

Avoid long lines on Election Day! Maryland has expanded early voting this year to make sure you have the best chance to make your vote count! Read on for MD Early Voting Dates, Times, and Locations.

Did you forget to register to vote? No worries! You can now register to vote DURING EARLY VOTING at designated early voting locations. Just bring a government-issued photo ID.

Note: If you participate in early voting, you cannot vote on election day or by absentee ballot. To find your pollling location on election day, visit elections.state.md.us.

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Early Voting Locations - MARYLAND

2016 Primary

BCFPE addressed the issue of pay for overtime when a 911 Center employee comes into work after being on standby/call-in on a 36-hour week.

After working with the Dept. of Human Resources, it was determined that employees are entitled to be compensated for their first four hours of work after being on standby/call-in at a overtime rate, regardless of whether the employee has worked 40 hours. As normal, anything over 40 hours will still be compensated at an overtime rate.

All employees that were not compensated properly for coming into work while on standby/call-in on their 36-hour week will be

Come join with your sisters and brothers in labor: MONDAY, March 21st at 6:00 p.m. for UNION NIGHT IN ANNAPOLIS at Lawyer's Mall.

After the mass labor rally, we will lobby our legislators on important issues facing public employees in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and across the State of Maryland.

Some of our issues include:

• Fighting against the privatization of vital state and city services
• Lobbying legislators to pressure Gov. Hogan to stop the abolishment of PINs
• Expanding the Community School Strategy in Maryland
• Restoring $24 million cut to Baltimore City Schools
• Ending workplace bullying

The vote to accept the Tentative Agreement between BCFPE and Baltimore County has passed with a vote of 85%. Thank you to everyone who came out last week to cast your vote.

If you have any questions, please contact our office at (410)296-1875 or jripley@aft-maryland.org.

Over a hundred members of the unions that make up AFT-Maryland took to Annapolis to engage their elected representatives. Lobby Night as it is called gave members and activists an opportunity to extend their voices directly to the people that they elected. Nearly all of the locals that make up AFT-Maryland were represented and union members did not hesitate to ask Delegates and State Senators tough questions. 

 

Members were there to press elected officials on state budget priorities, school vouchers, education assessments, community schools, due process for state employees at the Maryland

The 2016 Maryland State Legislative Session is full of challenges for public employees. Help us move our agenda for working families as we call for:

• better funding for Baltimore City Public Schools,
• safe work and learning environments for all state workers, educational professionals, and students,
• due process rights for Maryland School for the Deaf teachers,
• eliminating bullying from management in the workplace,
• and much more!

Read about our positions on the issues by clicking the following links:

• State Budget
• Education Assessments
• Community Schools
• School for the Deaf
• Workplace Bullying
• Partially Elected

Delegates and State Senators in Annapolis made their way to the Maryland Inn Monday night for an AFT-Maryland legislative reception. It was well attended by labor leaders and elected officials alike. The staff and service at the Maryland Inn was superb as politicians got a chance to meet with important figures in Baltimore and ostensibly Maryland's labor movement.

Local presidents such as John Ripley (BCFPE), Karen Pilecki (BCFPHN), Maria Mathias (MPEC), Yvonne Rice (CUB), and Marietta English (AFT Maryland and BTU) were in attendance. Conversation around serious political issues were minimal