CFT members from across the state turn out for successful March 4 day of action
Thanks to the over 1,000 CFT members and allies from across the state who took part in the March 4 Day of Action for public education. The cornerstone of the day was the second annual March in March in Sacramento, where several hundred faculty and students from across the state marched and rallied for dignity and respect for all members of the higher education community, and against attacks by the Trump administration. Check out the CFT Instagram for inspiring words from CFT members, and this coverage in the Sacramento Bee.
While the March in March has been in the works for over a year, March 4 only recently turned into a national day of action by AFT and other organizations, with a focus on protecting kids and fighting back against the Trump administration. Local actions throughout the state included a massive turnout of school site actions by the Salinas Valley Federation of Teachers, a rally with parents and community allies hosted by the Paso Robles Public educators, a joint rally over the 101 Freeway by the San Rafael Federation of Teachers and the Novato Federation of Teachers, and many more. The day of action included over 2,000 AFT local events throughout the country.
A shout to all those who organized events, with a special shout out to those from the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, AFT Local 1521, who spearheaded the March in March in Sacramento.
CFT Convention is next week in San Diego
The biennial CFT Convention will convene next week in San Diego, where hundreds of delegates, speakers, and guests will gather to do the business of the union. The theme of this year’s convention is Union Power for All, a call to action to build our power and defend our schools, students, and communities. Join the convention conversation online starting next Thursday, by following CFT on all major social platforms (@cftunion).
March 14 Rising up for Justice march and rally – Next Friday, CFT Convention delegates and community and labor allies will take part in our Rising Up for Justice march and rally to protest President Trump’s attacks on public education and our immigrant communities. Delegates and guests will gather in front of the Westin Gaslamp hotel at 11:45 a.m. and march to the nearby Federal Building for a noontime rally. All are welcome at the rally and are encouraged to wear red!
On the Line interviews UESF leaders on the We Can’t Wait campaign
UESF leaders Cassondra Curiel and Nathalie Hrizi recently sat down for an interview with On the Line, a labor media and education project, to discuss the launching of the We Can’t Wait campaign, a statewide campaign that includes unions representing nearly 80,000 educators, serving over one million students. Core demands of the campaign include: fully staffed schools, safe and stable schools for students and communities, and closing the educator wage gap. Check it out!
March 20 AFT webinar: What we expect for federal funding cuts and policy changes in higher education
The first weeks of the Trump administration have featured a barrage of executive actions targeting higher education and the students we serve. In response, several groups, including the AFT, have filed lawsuits to stop the executive overreach. Meanwhile, Congress is considering deep funding cuts to student aid and other critical programs to fund unrelated policy priorities.
Join this discussion led by AFT staff to unpack everything that is going on in D.C., including Executive Actions, DOGE, impacts on the federal workforce, funding changes such as the proposed cut to NIH indirect costs, and more. Webinar starts at 12:00 p.m. PT. Register here.
