Vice President Kamala Harris inspires at the AFT Convention
Yesterday at the AFT Convention in Houston, delegates heard inspiring words directly from Vice President Kamala Harris in one of her first campaign events as she seeks the Democratic Party nomination for president. Earlier in the week AFT became the first union to endorse Harris for president.
Vice President Harris, who attended Thousand Oaks elementary school in Berkeley, told those in attendance that she is a proud product of public education, praising not only teachers, but everyone working in schools, from bus drivers and custodians, to nurses and higher education faculty.
She gave a special shout out to her first grade teacher, Frances Wilson. “It is because of Mrs. Wilson and many teachers like her that I stand before you as the Vice President of the United States, and why I am running to become President of the United States,” she said.
Harris also lauded AFT members for their focus on the future.
“The work you do is about a focus on the future. You see the potential in every child. You foster it. You encourage it. And in so doing, you shape the future of our nation…,” she said. “Today, we face a choice between two very different visions for our nation: one focused on the future and the other focused on the past. And we are fighting for the future.”
See Vice President Harris’s full remarks here. (Photo courtesy of AFT.)
150 CFT members take part in biennial AFT Convention in Houston
This week thousands of delegates from throughout the country took part in the biennial AFT Convention in Houston, including 150 delegates from California. In addition to the historic appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris, some highlights from this year’s convention include:
CFT Council of Classified Employees President and AFT Vice President Carl Williams, will continue in his role as the chair of the AFT PRSP division, which includes over 370,000 paraprofessionals and school-related personnel throughout the country. “This division [council] represents all the frontliners who power education in this country,” said Williams. “Demand your respect. … We need to stand up and say, ‘You can’t do it without us.’”
CFT President Jeff Freitas received the Trailblazer Award from the AFT Black Caucus, for his work to create a more just, diverse, and equitable labor movement. In his remarks to the caucus he said, “There is no way to oppose one oppression, without opposing all oppression.” He thanked the committee for the honor and those from California who were there to support the caucus.
In her remarks opening the convention, AFT President Randi Weingarten laid out an expansive vision for American progress and celebrated a major milestone: AFT membership has topped 1.8 million. Despite ceaseless attacks over the years, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 union-busting Janus decision, the AFT is standing strong—growing by 400,000 members during Weingarten’s tenure. She credited that success to our union’s undaunted focus on winning real solutions for a better life for all.
Finally, CFT will be well represented on the new AFT Executive Council. Jeff Freitas and Carl Williams will serve as AFT Vice Presidents for the coming two-year term, along with CFT Executive Vice President Juan Ramirez and UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz.
Thanks to all the CFT members who helped make the AFT Convention such a success. For photos and videos of CFT members in action at the convention, check out this Facebook photo album, and this CFT Instagram reel. For more coverage of the convention, including resolutions passed by the delegates, see the AFT Convention web page.
Sunol voters recall two school board members
It’s official. Voters in Sunol have successfully recalled two school board members in the small Bay Area town. Over the course of the last year, the board members acted in an overtly partisan manner and governed in a way that silenced opposing voices and rejected basic tenets of democracy and transparency, including creating a hostile environment for LGTBQ+ youth. Members of the Sunol Federation of Teachers worked with concerned parents and community members to organize the recall.
“Parents, local community members, and teachers came together as our Sunol Glen School Board veered away from their core mission of supporting our school and students,” said Chris Wheeler, President of Sunol Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1494 in a statement. “These concerned residents fought to return our school board to being one that is solely focused on our school and a world class education for our students.”
“This is a win for students, parents, educators, and the community of Sunol,” added CFT President Jeff Freitas. “School board members are elected to serve the best interests of our schools and students, not to inject political gamesmanship into our classrooms. Elected board members must create safe and welcoming schools for all students.”
