Inside MSEA with Sean Johnson
THE POWER OF OUR UNION HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT
Elections have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are a perceived mandate from voters, as in 2012 to protect the Affordable Care Act at the national level or the DREAM Act and marriage equality at the state level. Or the overwhelming support realized for a governor committed to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, as in the election of Wes Moore in 2022. Voters reacted to the great recession by rejecting incumbents nationally in 2014 and again most recently in 2024. When assessing the impact of this year’s election results on our students, members, public education writ large, and our union, I see threats, but also opportunities.
Our state fiscal picture is complicated by the potential impact of a shrinking federal workforce. These strains on our economy undoubtedly make it challenging for state and local governments to meet the demands of the Blueprint and other critical government services. Beyond the economics are likely forthcoming initiatives and politicized attacks that target marginalized people and institutions, including public sector unions like ours. There is a clear push for mass deportations that would disrupt the lives of many students, families, and friends and a roll back of protections for reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights. The threat of investigations by the federal departments of labor and justice and the IRS could destabilize the operations of unions. The risks are very real.
With every threat is an opportunity—an opportunity to be more organized and collaborative, to deepen and expand our network of coalition partners, to develop bolder and clearer policy proposals, and more. There is opportunity in the dozens of local board of education seats where educator-recommended candidates won and especially in the counties across the political spectrum where our recommended candidates swept, often beating incumbents or far-right extremist candidates.
MSEA is powerful because of our members and allies who lead in the interest of students, families, and communities. And when the people and values we care about most are threatened, it is more important than ever that we find unity, strength, perseverance, and resilience with our union colleagues. The power of our union has never been more tested or more important than in this moment.
May the holiday season give time and space for reflection and recharging because come 2025, our students, members, and union are counting on our collective ability to act, to persevere, and to win. Together, I know we can.