Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
This week (May 5–9) teachers in California are celebrated for their dedication to our students and their families. Every day teachers go above and beyond to meet the growing needs of our students, and work tirelessly to ensure they have the education they deserve.
Beyond the much-appreciated cards and gifts this week, there are two critical ways to appreciate teachers.
The first is to stand with us in protecting our schools and our students from the attacks by the current administration. Our public schools and our students are worth protecting.
Second is to stand with us in our fight to fully fund our schools. Now is the time to provide the funding we need so that our students get the education they deserve.
Thank you to all the teachers who are working so hard in this unbelievably stressful environment. You show up every day, making sure every student feels safe, feels welcome, and receives a quality education.
Check out this Teacher Appreciation Week shout out from CFT President Jeff Freitas, and this word from UTLA member Marcie Chagolla. .
Classified employees successfully fight layoffs in Berkeley Unified
This March, 166 members of Berkeley Council of Classified Employees, AFT Local 6192, received layoff notices from the BUSD, a number that would have decimated the ranks of their membership and had a severe impact on the students. Since the layoff notices were sent, BCCE, with the support of their sister local in the district, BFT, has taken part in a series of rallies and speak outs at their board of education meetings, demanding the layoffs be rescinded and that any necessary cuts be made away from critical support positions for students. Their organizing is beginning to pay off – this week the district rescinded all but 25 of the layoffs.
BCCE President Frank Hernandez is heartened by the reductions in layoffs, but he says they are going to continue putting the pressure on the district until more jobs are saved.
“Every one of our members is critical to the success of our students and our schools,” says Hernandez. “And we are going to keep fighting.”
Great job everyone!
(Pictured above: BCCE members and BFT members rallying at a school board meeting earlier this week.)
Palomar unions host first-ever Strength and Solidarity Festival
Last weekend the Palomar Faculty Federation, AFT 6161, and the Palomar College Council of Classified, AFT Local 4522, hosted the inaugural Strength and Solidarity festival on their college campus in San Marcos. Despite the rain, hundreds gathered for a celebration of labor, freedom, and unity, with a variety of speakers and student and community artists performing music, poetry, dance, and more.
According to the unions organizing the event, the festival was designed to foster community connection and awareness by sharing labor history and showcasing some of the college’s student and employee talents.
“As an organizer, a unionist, and a longtime member of this community, I was so proud to see the beautiful tapestry of who we are—reflected on stage, in our vendors, and in the crowd,” said Anel Gonzalez, President of the Palomar College Council of Classified Employees. “The success of the Solidarity & Strength Festival came from all of us pulling together, showing up for each other. This is what true solidarity looks like—and it’s how we move forward, together.”
Buckley faculty demand respect during Teacher Appreciation Week
A shout out to the members of the Buckley Faculty Association, AFT Local 4163, who took part in a week-long protest this week during the Buckley School's Teacher Appreciation Week, titled BFA Unity Week. Teachers at the Buckley School have filed five Unfair Labor Practice Charges (ULPs) against the school for violation of basic union rights, such as failures to respond to requests for information, due process violations during terminations, and the termination of their union president. Teachers wore union swag and buttons during the entire week-long event, which highlighted the need for respect as the best way to appreciate their work.
Tell the U.S. Congress: No cuts to public schools to fund vouchers
Even as President Trump tries to end the federal role in education, he and his allies in Congress are trying to sneak a new voucher program into a bill about taxes. But this “tuition tax credit” is nothing more than a national voucher program that also allows people like Elon Musk and Betsy DeVos to turn a profit, personally earning millions of dollars from the scheme, while our public schools, which 90 percent of all students attend, are underfunded and undermined. Tell the U.S. Congress: No cuts to public schools to fund vouchers.
Reminder: May 15 webinar – Unemployment insurance workshop for contingent faculty
On Thursday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m. CFT will host a webinar for part-time faculty on navigating unemployment. The workshop will guide faculty through the online unemployment filing process, for both new and reopened claims. How to deal with phone interviews, denials, and appeals will also be covered. Register here.
Mass actions planned for May 17 and June 14
Mark your calendars for two upcoming resistance actions: May 17 and June 14. On May 17, UTLA and UESF are hosting major Fight for Schools rallies in their cities, part of a statewide effort led by CTA. Additional rallies will also take place in Sacramento, Hanford, and San Diego. Find more details here.
June 14 is the No Kings National Day of Action, called on that day because President Trump is planning a massive military parade in Washington, D.C. Rallies are once again being planned throughout the country, with two-dozen already set in California. Follow up with your local union to participate in a rally near you. More details at www.nokings.org.
