Coast Federation of Educators president hits the ground in Wisconsin in support of Harris/Walz

Coast Federation of Educators president Rob Schneiderman is on the ground in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (pictured above). He’s there as a volunteer as a part of AFT’s two-week battleground state deployment program where he is working with AFT and with the Wisconsin AFL-CIO to outreach to voters in this swing state about the Harris/Walz ticket and about re-electing Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to a battleground state for this important election,” says Schneiderman. “Knocking on doors and talking to union members about the presidential election and the Senate race in this state has been an incredible way to be a part of the AFT family and shows me we are all fighting for the same things: good schools, good jobs, and dignity and equity for everyone.”

He also shared that having on the ground conversations with Wisconsinites has challenged the perceptions of all the out-of-state canvassers and noted, “We’ve definitely had our stereotypes challenged. Maybe we thought we’d be talking to conservative, rural voters who favor Trump. But we’ve had great moments chatting with hardworking veterans and union members who want something better for their state and their country and are excited about voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. It’s been uplifting to find that we have so much in common.”

Sign up to volunteer today!

All CFT members can join Rob in reaching out to swing state voters by joining upcoming phone banks to battleground states. Part of our work as Californians is to help move the dial in other states, and we need you to sign up and volunteer to call AFT members across the country. Sign up here:

Sunday, October 20 – 1:00-3:00 p.m. – Join AFT President Randi Weingarten, students, educators, and volunteers to call young people in battleground states and help them make a plan to vote! [RSVP]
Monday, October 21 – 3:00-5:00 p.m. – Call AFT members in Michigan and Pennsylvania [RSVP]
Tuesday, October 22 – 5:00-7:00 p.m. – Call AFT members in Nevada [RSVP]
Thursday, October 24 – 5:00-7:00 p.m. – Call AFT members in Arizona [RSVP]

Ready to cast your ballot? Make sure to review the CFT Educators Choice Voter Guide for local and statewide candidates and initiatives.

Apply now for CFT scholarships for graduating high school seniors

Through this benefit of membership, the CFT has helped hundreds of students reach their higher education goals by awarding them Raoul Teilhet Scholarships. As of August of this year, we have awarded 822 scholarships for a total of $2.3 million.

The Raoul Teilhet Scholarships for high school seniors who are children or dependents of CFT members in good standing are now open and are due by December 15. Students who will enroll in four-year courses of study are eligible for $3,000 scholarships; those who enroll in two-year programs are eligible for $1,000. More information is available here.

Note: Applications for scholarships for continuing college students will be open on December 15, 2024.

Teachers and classified staff rally for new contracts in Berkeley

Last week dozens of educators and school staff from the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers rallied at the BUSD school board meeting, as part of their ongoing contract fights for increased compensation. Despite negotiating since March, neither union has received a contract offer that takes into account the growing cost of living in the expensive community.

At the rally the unions presented a 76-foot-long banner that included over 1,300 signatures from Berkeley parents, pledging their support under the theme, BUSD employees deserve dignity.

UC-AFT librarians win new contract with wage increases and strengthened professional development

Congratulations to the UC-AFT librarians who earlier this month settled a contract with the university system after many months of negotiations. In addition to wage increase, the new contract includes adaptable work options and an annual professional development allowance of $1,250. Fantastic work!

For more details on the new contract, read this write up from the Daily Bruin.

Help our AFT family recover from Milton and Helene

Hurricane Milton has battered the southeastern United States, leaving 3 million people without power and millions more displaced. Families in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and other states were already struggling to rebuild and recover from Hurricane Helene just weeks before, and now many of them face even more devastation. The AFT has reopened their disaster relief fund to help fellow AFT members impacted by the hurricanes. Click here to make a donation.