The Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO is a local labor federation and affiliate of the left-of-center national labor federation the AFL-CIO. The organization is comprised of more than 50 local labor unions in the greater Baltimore, Maryland area and is the largest local labor federation in the state of Maryland. The organization supports a pro-union and broad left-leaning policy agenda at the state, local, and federal levels on issues including minimum wage, health care, immigration, and taxation. The Council also endorses candidates for Congress and city and county offices in the Baltimore area, almost exclusively endorsing Democratic candidates. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Background

The Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO was founded in 1995 as a local labor federation of AFL-CIO-affiliated local unions in the greater Baltimore are. Today, the organization is the largest local labor federation in the state of Maryland, and is affiliated with the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO. ^[4]

The organization is comprised of over 50 local unions that collectively purport to represent approximately 150,000 in the area. Notable union members include the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees and AFSCME Council 67, which together represent 20,000 government employees, as well as the Baltimore Teachers Union. ^{[5] [6]}

Political Activity

The Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO endorses candidates for public office and almost exclusively endorse democrats. The organization also operates a political giving arm called the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO Separate Segregated Fund, which it uses to fund political advertisements and coordinate political efforts across the local unions. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Donors to the council’s political arm, according to the most recent records available in October 2021, include the Baltimore Teachers Union; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; SEIU Local 1199; the American Federation of Teachers Maryland; the Seafarers International Union; and Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 486. ^[10]

Endorsements

The Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO endorses candidates in all notable elections in the Baltimore area and Maryland. During the 2020 election cycle, the organization endorsed almost exclusively democratic candidates including U.S. Representatives Dutch Ruppersberger (D), John Sarbanes (D), and Kweisi Mfume (D). The organization also endorsed Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D). The council departed from its history of mostly endorsing Democrats when it voted with 85 percent of its members to endorse Franca Muller Paz, a far-left Green Party candidate running for Baltimore City Council who ultimately lost to Democrat Robert Stokes. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

Leadership

The Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO is led by Jermaine Jones. Jones began his career as a union organizer for the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) where he ultimately became a business manager working with union members in the construction industry. Jones is also the Baltimore director for the Baltimore-DC Metro Building and Construction Trades Council. Jones earns more than $165,000 in total compensation from the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO. ^{[14] [15]}