When the president of Colorado WINS learned that the president of the United States might be targeting Denver next in his anti-immigration campaign of terror, she knew how she’d begin to mobilize. One simple thing Diane Byrne does is deck out her activists in matching T-shirts. Wearing union colors promotes team spirit and builds confidence, she says. The AFT Public Employees program and policy council, meeting in New York City Feb. 5-6, abounded with tips to help locals mobilize. PPC chair Gary Feist, president of North Dakota Public Employees, recommended finding members who can tell a personal story to draw media attention. With more media on the issue, he said, legislators will become more motivated to fix the problem.

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma.

It is clear that higher education is under attack. The Trump administration has frozen funding for science, from cancer research to reproductive care; has hamstrung student financial aid programs; has stripped colleges and universities of diversity, equity and inclusion programming; has strangled affirmative action designed to expand access to college; and is demanding that some institutions sign a “compact” that forces them to adopt Trump’s ideology in exchange for federal funding.

Dr. Byrce Pulliam spends his nights in a community emergency room in Southern Oregon, where the line between life and death can come down to seconds—and insurance coverage.

“I show up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with one goal in mind: to provide excellent care for patients in crisis. Being a doctor is often challenging, but it has become harder because our nation’s healthcare system is on life support,” he said before a House hearing on Oct. 8.

A wonderful evening of fellowship and camaraderie at the BCFPHN Annual Union meeting and dinner was held on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at Pappas Restaurant in Parkville. Kenya Campbell, AFT Maryland President & Janell Edmonds, AFT Maryland Organizer were in attendance, as well as our Union Vice-President Beverly Grace and Union Secretary Debbie Torres. Our Union President Patricia Branum was out of town for a family matter, so she was unable to be present physically, but was present in spirit and composed our meeting agenda. A total of nine members came out in show of unity.  

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Summer is here, bringing intense heat and humidity with it. This means dangerous working conditions for many on the job. AFT Maryland and the City Union of Baltimore (CUB), along with a coalition of labor unions, recently scored a victory for worker safety during the hot days of summer. Together, we worked for new regulations to protect workers from the increasing risk of heat-related illnesses on the job.

The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) division of the state’s Department of Labor (DLLR), finalized the new heat illness prevention rules with implementation to begin ahead of the 2025 summer season. 

Under the new rules, employers must take specific actions when the heat index hits 80°F or higher. 
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