AFT Maryland is a statewide teachers’ union with 18,000 members affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO, both of which are organizations that wield significant power on the political left. AFT Maryland’s most notable local affiliate is the Baltimore Teachers Union, and most of the group’s local unions are located near Baltimore City. The union also represents college professors, school nurses, and other non-education public employees including employees in the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. The Maryland-AFT is significantly smaller in size than the Maryland State Education Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association, which has over 75,000 members and a higher profile in state politics in Maryland. AFT-Maryland endorses candidates for office, mostly in Baltimore. In 2024, it exclusively endorsed Democrats, including Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott (D). 1 2 3
Background and History
AFT-Maryland was chartered in 1973 and consists of ten local unions, only two of which are county-level teachers unions: the Baltimore Teachers Union and the Garrett County Federation of Teachers. AFT-Maryland is centered around Baltimore and represents other Baltimore-area government workers including the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees and the City Union of Baltimore. Other locals of AFT-Maryland include AFT Healthcare-Maryland, Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses, Maryland Classified Employees Association, Maryland Professional Employees Council, Maryland School for the Deaf Faculty and Staff Association, and the Montgomery County Federation of Teachers. 2
Baltimore Teachers Union
The Baltimore Teachers Union is the largest AFT-Maryland affiliate, representing 8,000 members. The union is active in lobbying at the local level and, along with AFT-Maryland, endorses candidates for city office in Baltimore. The Union’s 2024 legislative agenda includes support for special education caseload caps, allowing for bargaining of class sizes, and enacting a “living wage” for public school employees. 4
Political Stances
In 2023, AFT-Maryland supported legislation that would introduce a state tax deduction for union dues, expand paid family leave, end businesses’ ability to write off state taxes and fines, accelerate the implementation of a $15 minimum wage, and prohibit universities from withholding transcripts to students who are in debt to the university. 5
AFT-Maryland also supported the 2023 state budget in Maryland which included “steep increases” for teacher pay and “$8.7 billion for K-12 public schools – with an additional $900 million to fund the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future” as well as “[t]he full actuarially required contribution to the state’s pension fund – plus an additional payment.” 5
Endorsements
AFT-Maryland endorses candidates for office, mostly in Baltimore. In 2024, it exclusively endorsed Democrats including Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott (D). The union also celebrated the election of U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and the defeat of ballot measures in Baltimore that would have reduced the size of the city council and that would have reduced property taxes. 6 1
During the 2024 election cycle, AFT-Maryland echoed the American Federation of Teachers’ endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign for president. AFT-Maryland president Kenya Campbell stated, “We will be hands on deck to elect Angela Alsobrooks to the United States Senate and Kamala Harris to the White House. We will also offer our support to our neighbors in Pennsylvania and Virginia to turn out voters to support Vice President Harris in the upcoming November election.” 7
References
- “AFT Maryland Announces Endorsed Candidates List for 2024 Election.” AFT Maryland. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://md.aft.org/political/aft-maryland-announces-endorsed-candidates-list-2024-election
- “About Us.” AFT-Maryland. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://md.aft.org/about-us
- “Local Unions.” AFT-Maryland. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://md.aft.org/local-sites
- “2024 BTU Legislative Agenda.” Baltimore Teachers Union. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://baltimoreteachers.org/2024-btu-legislative-agenda/
- “AFT Maryland 2023 Session Report.” AFT-Maryland. Accessed January 18, 2025. https://md.aft.org/legislative/aft-maryland-2023-legislative-report
- “A Post-Election Message from AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell.” AFT Maryland. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://md.aft.org/news/post-election-message-aft-maryland-president-kenya-campbell
- “AFT Endorses Harris for President.” AFT Maryland. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://md.aft.org/news/aft-endorses-harris-president