City Union of Baltimore members are claiming a victory in fighting back against layoffs. Last October, then Mayor Jack Young proposed laying off nearly 70 CUB members and privatizing water meter operations.

Issue briefs

There’s an annual effort to mark the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with an act of community service. The ongoing global pandemic made in-person service activities nearly impossible, but three Maryland unions representing public employees came together for a way to honor Dr. King with a worthwhile effort.

This year there are three open seats to the State Teacher Retirement System Board, two seats for retiree members and one seat for active members. Elizabeth Jones, Rudy Fichtenbaum, and Ben Pfeiffer are strong advocates for financial transparency and retirement security. Read below about their background and why they are running and help get them on the ballot by downloading a nominations form and sending it back to us before the deadline. 

The St. Martin Federation of Teachers has been working with members and district officials to address a concerning incident that happened on Wednesday at Breaux Bridge High School. Some teachers and school staff were told that their shirts with ‘chucks and pearls’ icons were inappropriate and they were sent home. Unfortunately, this was done in a way that allowed for no conversation or private discourse on the meaning behind these shirts, or their cultural significance. 

January 23, 2021 ~ Bow, NH

“Teacher unions.”  A phrase often heard in NH news this week.  Why?  Governor Sununu has come under strong criticism for omitting educators from the top tier categories for COVID vaccinations.  Forty-eight of the fifty states have put educators in the top tier, understanding that if they are vaccinated, then there will be fewer positives, fewer quarantines due to potential exposure, etc. Here in NH, there is a severe shortage of substitute teachers and para-educators to replace those required to quarantine.  If educators were vaccinated, the quarantine problem would begin to subside, the substitute shortage would be ameliorated, and more schools would begin returning to full-scale in-person learning.  Once that happens, parents can then return to work and a more normal life.  End result?  A quicker return to something resembling pre-COVID life in NH.  Now isn’t that something we are all waiting and hoping for this year? 

We congratulate perfusionist Ron Salonia, our 2020 Union Rep of the Year!

Our announcement is belated; normally we present this award at our annual business convention, but... you know how last year went.

Click here for this week's update!

Even Bernie reads the NTU Update!

In this issue:

1) Working Conditions 

2) A new day for education

3) NTU Executive Board Meeting

And Much more!

January 15, 2021

In response to new reporting showing that Jeffrey Yass funded efforts to overturn the 2020 election, AFT Pennsylvania President Arthur Steinberg, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan, and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President Nina Esposito-Visgitis issued the following statement...

Click here for full article on the Eagle Tribune