As election season heats up, AFT launches volunteer platform
With the selection of former teacher, and AFT member, Tim Walz as her running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris has once again shown her firm commitment to public education and working people.
And now, with enthusiasm for the election growing, the AFT has launched a new platform to connect educators and school workers with opportunities to volunteer in the coming weeks to help elect Harris/Walz and to ensure a pro-union House of Representatives.
First up, AFT is offering regular member-to-member phonebanks into battleground states and districts, and you can sign up here.
They will also sponsor two-week deployments to high-priority battleground states, asking for volunteers who can go to Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. You can sign up to volunteer for a two-week deployment here.
AFT is also trying out a new program this year called "Adopt a District" where members and retirees can sign up to be on a team that is assigned to a specific House district, including ours in California, from now to Election Day. Volunteers will be briefed on polling, demographics, and other critical information about that particular district, and will engage in regular voter contact like phoning, texting, and writing postcards. You can sign up to "Adopt a District" here.
Finally, AFT will also soon launch a postcard-writing program, and you can sign up here. Look out for additional opportunities to volunteer for Congressional districts in California in the weeks ahead.
Back to School tour stops this week at Allan Hancock College and Poway
CFT’s elected leaders fanned out across the state as their Back to School tour continued this week with stops with the Poway Federation of Teachers and the Part-Time Faculty Association of Allan Hancock College. In Poway, CFT Executive Vice President Juan Ramirez and EC/TK-12 President Steve McDougal got a chance to connect with new teachers at the district’s new member orientation.
At Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria (pictured above), CFT Secretary Treasurer Lacy Barnes met with part-time faculty at a union professional development meeting, which included a ‘know your contract’ review of their evaluation process, office hours, leaves, and more. The union also got a chance to sign up new members yesterday evening, with one new faculty member overheard saying, “This is awesome. I had no idea that there were all these benefits for me when I started working here.”
UC-AFT librarians show unity at the bargaining table
Over 150 UC-AFT members and supporters showed up to a Zoom bargaining with UC management this week in support of UC librarians and their demands for a new contract. Core issues this round include academic esteem, salary, and containing costs for health benefits. For more on their campaign, and on how you can support them, follow UC-AFT on Twitter and Bluesky.
Register now for upcoming CFT trainings
Child labor on the rise. What can educators do? (August 20 at 4:00 p.m.) – Child labor unfortunately is on the rise, with more than ten states introducing legislation to undermine child labor protections. Please join the CFT training department for a one hour webinar on August 20 at 4:00 p.m. to learn about the rise in child labor today, and to discuss what educators can do to respond. Register here.
Purposeful transgender inclusion practices in our classrooms (August 27 at 4:00 p.m.) – Are you interested in making your classroom trans-inclusive but not sure where to begin? The presenters of this workshop presented by the CFT training department will provide an overview of terminology and basic use of pronouns, share trans-inclusive practices they use in their classrooms, and the feedback they have received from students. Register here.
