May 10, 2018 - Bow, NH

Today marked the end of the long 2017-18 saga of SB 193, the proposal to establish Education Savings Accounts as a means of funneling public education money to those choosing to attend private schools or home-schooling.  After eighteen months and innumerable twists and turns, the end came quickly in the NH House.  Having consigned SB 193 to interim study by the Finance Committee for the remainder of the 2018 session, the House now faced the early Senate version of SB 193, attached as an amendment to another House bill on an unrelated subject. 

Very quickly, the bill containing the Senate’s early version of SB 193 came before the House this morning.  By an extremely narrow margin, 170-165, the House rejected the Republican majority motion to join with the Senate in a Committee of Conference to try to salvage something from the saga of SB 193.  Immediately after, the House then voted 180-163 to “non concur” with the Senate on the amended bill (HB 1636) effectively killing it and its amendment (the original SB 193) for the session.  And so it has ended.  SB 193 will be studied by Finance this summer in an attempt to somehow come up with a version that shovels public funds to private schools but which somehow does not add costs the State or local property taxpayers.  It will be a difficult task.  In the meantime, the issue is dead, at least until 2019.

STATEMENT FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY FEDERATION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES PRESIDENT JOHN RIPLEY ON THE PASSING OF KEVIN KAMENETZ

“It is with deep sadness I receive the news of the of the passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. He was a consummate statesman who was...

It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. On behalf of the City Union of Baltimore, I send our deepest condolences to Mr. Kamenetz’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Antoinette Ryan-Johnson, President
City Union of Baltimore, Local #800, AFT, AFL-CIO

Baltimore County Councilman Wade Kach is proposing a property tax credit for several categories of public safety employees who live in the county.

Statement from AFT-Maryland President Marietta English
on the passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz

AFT-Maryland is shocked beyond words to hear of the passing of Kevin Kamenetz. Beyond politics, this was a man dedicated to Baltimore County, who was lost too soon. From his days as a county councilman to his time as county executive, he put the county first despite how others may receive it. He was a true friend.

We mourn with his family, all of Baltimore County, and the state of Maryland at the loss of such a pivotal figure in Maryland politics.  

All services are available for FREE to covered current or

former employees and their covered dependents!

What is it?

On May 22, 2018 Alliance unions will begin coordinated bargaining for a new agreement with Kaiser Permanente.

The intent of the Alliance of Health Care Unions has not changed: Alliance unions are united in our commitment to bargain a full and fair contract for all of our members. 
To this end, representatives of Alliance unions are meeting with KP on Thursday, May 10 to finalize logistics and timeframes for bargaining.

City Union of Baltimore participated in the Mayor's Spring Cleanup event. This was Baltimore’s 19th annual spring cleaning event, which encourages neighbors throughout the City to work together to sweep, rake, and plant.

For more photos, visit our Facebook page!

Action Needed

May 7, 2018 - Bow, NH

If you have seen the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you must recall the early scene in the squalid, plague-stricken village.  As the cartman walks through calling on villagers to “Bring out your dead,” we see an elderly and ill man trying to get away.  “I’m not dead,” but “He will be soon, he’s very ill.”  It ends of course with the poor man knocked over the head, tossed into the cart and everyone else walking away satisfied.

SB 193 is sort of like the ill, plague-stricken man in the Holy Grail.  Twice last week, the House voted narrowly to refer the bill to interim study, essentially killing the bill but giving the Finance Committee an opportunity to study the finances of the system of education savings accounts (the end-around for trying to avoid constitutional issues tied up with vouchers).  Yet late on Thursday night, when the Senate took up its final bill for the session, Republicans attached the original version of SB 193 to another bill and sent it back to the House for consideration.  So, it lives on.