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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.

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Every worker deserves to be appreciated, especially by their union. Members of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses (BCFPHN), Local 5102, felt the love from their union at their worksites during National Nurses Week 2023. AFT-Maryland President Kenya Campbell along with AFT-Maryland organizer Janell Edmonds visited public health centers across Baltimore county delivering gifts that represented tokens of appreciation from the members’ union and the state federation.  President Campbell enjoyed visiting the worksites and talking with nurses. “I love getting out in the community and engaging with members. Our members are the backbone of our state and local governments. It was my pleasure to be with the nurses in Baltimore county to offer a token of appreciation on behalf of their union and the state federation,” Campbell said. CLICK THROUGH FOR THE REST, A VIDEO, AND > > > MORE

What unions do

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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.

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May 6, 2022 was National Nurses Day kicking off a week of celebration and appreciation for the backbone of the healthcare field. For AFT-Maryland, it was an opportunity to show the nurses who are members of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses, Local 5102 how grateful we are for their dedicated service to public health in Baltimore County. Our members were on the front lines of the public health efforts during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the rollout of vaccines and boosters, our nurses have continued to serve Baltimore county residents with care and compassion, all while ensuring their work to keep the public healthy. CLICK TO READ MORE
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Student debt affects millions of Americans and many are looking for ways to alleviate the heavy burden that student loan debt has become. AFT offers a range of ways to help members who are trying to work around their student debt. Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses (BCFPHN) Local 5102 tapped into those resources when they invited Greg Goff from AFT Higher Education to deliver a virtual presentation to members. Click to read MORE

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Renee Reisinger enjoys working as a public health professional. She also appreciates that it’s never too late to learn something new. This is why she joins a select few with the distinction of graduating from a first-in-the-nation Master’s Program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. The program is in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics. In this member spotlight, Renee talks with AFT-Maryland Communication Director Ray Baker about what she’s learned in the program and how the program is helping advance the field of public health.

AFT-Maryland and BCFPHN are proud of each and every member who...

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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"37925","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 150px; height: 135px; margin: 3px; float: right;"}}]]The Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses (BCFPHN) is excited to announce new leadership for the union. Crystal Wright takes over as president of the local. Crystal takes the reins as President after serving as Vice president of the Union for the past two years. She has worked as a public health nurse for Baltimore county for the past three years. She takes over for President Karen Pilecki. Pilecki was instrumental in getting Crystal up to speed and ready to handle the responsibility of leading this local.

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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"68262","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","style":"width: 33%; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 3px 2px; float: right;"}}]]Crystal Wright is a public health nurse with the Baltimore County Health Department. She has been with them for three years. She is also a member of the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses, Local 5102. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything about how she does her job. One way her job is affected that may not be obvious is the degree of care she can give patients. She reports that sometimes patients see her as a confidant with a shoulder they can cry on, and she has to remember that “today it’s my patient that’s positive for the virus, but tomorrow it could be me.” With each interaction, she and other nurses are at an increased risk. The nature of her work has changed because interactions have to be brief, but focused.

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The locals that serve members in Baltimore county were out and about engaging public employees. Union Day was a success as the Baltimore County Federation of Public Employees and the Baltimore County Federation of Public Health Nurses met members and prospective members at their worksite to have conversation around the benefits of joining the union and recent updates to union contracts. Organizers Frank Pratka and Janell Edmonds manned tables in a 3rd floor break room on Friday November 22nd at the Drumcastle County Government Office. 

Pratka said the union day was an opportunity to get out and

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