(BALTIMORE – April 21, 2026) — A new chapter is underway for AFSCME Local 44 as newly elected President Stancil McNair invites union members, community leaders, and residents to its first-ever public town hall this Friday in Northeast Baltimore.
The event will be held Friday, April 24, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys.
Local 44, one of the largest units of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), represents nearly 10,000 workers—primarily blue-collar employees across Baltimore’s Department of Public Works, Department of Transportation, Department of General Services, Recreation and Parks, and Baltimore City Public Schools.
McNair says the town hall signals more than a routine gathering—it’s a reset.
“This is about reconnecting our workers with the communities they serve,” he said. “Our workers are essential to the functioning of Baltimore City, yet many continue to face unacceptable conditions.”
Referencing the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his 1968 support for striking sanitation workers in Memphis, McNair emphasized that many frontline employees today—particularly solid waste workers—continue to face systemic barriers to safe and fair working conditions.
The forum offers residents a rare opportunity to hear directly from the “boots on the ground” who keep Baltimore running, while also addressing pressing workplace safety concerns. Those concerns have gained urgency in recent years following line-of-duty deaths involving Department of Public Works employees, as well as findings highlighted by Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming.
Beyond the town hall, McNair is working to strengthen Local 44’s relationship with AFSCME Maryland Council 3, prioritizing trust, transparency, and accountability—both within the union and across the broader community.
All union members and Baltimore residents are encouraged to attend and take part in shaping what organizers describe as a new era of engagement and reform.
