News

It is with deep respect and heartfelt gratitude that we remember Ruth Ogle, a woman whose integrity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to others left a lasting mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Ruth served as President of MCEA Council 1935 with strength, fairness, and determination, always advocating fiercely for the members she represented. She believed that every employee deserved to be heard, treated with dignity, and represented honestly. Her reputation for fairness and trustworthiness extended far beyond the workplace and...

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Dear Members! MCEA is moving forward with confidence and poise! We are partnering with our longtime insurance provider, RK Tongue, to offer a $20 gift to all current members who recruit a new member to MCEA between August 1 and December 31, 2026. 

If you and your colleage discuss MCEA membership and they join, please send your name, the name of the colleague you recruited, and the bargaining unit to which you belong to info@mcea.org. We will get back to you with next steps.

On December 8, 2025, Lisa Bryant O'Day, an employee of the District Court of Maryland, was issued with a Three Day leave forfetiure/suspension for alledged failure to perform the essential functions of her position. She turned to her Union MCEA for assistance.

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In the new year, our elected Executive Board established our goals for the year as a union.

Over the past year, MCEA has grown to support new workers in the new professions, and we have welcomed two new councils to our ranks.

As a result, we are ready to grow in our power together. As individuals, there are real limits on what any one person can accomplish. However, as a union, we are all stronger together.

Our goal in 2026 is to grow our membership, and as a result, we will be launching several new programs to strengthen our union and speak out on the issues that matter to us.

Congratulations to the staff of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), who ratified their most recent union Contract!

UMCES staff do the work on the ground to ensure that cutting-edge research on our environment can continue. JWorkers won faster annual leave accreal, increased on-call pay, an extra holiday, and much more. With the power of a union, you and your coworkers can make a real difference.

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.

Attention Retirees! The 2026 Maryland Legislature has submitted the Retirees Prescription bill.

NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THEM KNOW HOW YOU FEEL SINCE THIS IS A MIDTERM ELECTIONS YEAR. THE BILL NUMBER IS HB 696

Click through for links to the Maryland legislature and a copy of the bill.

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.