CFT Executive Council passes urgent resolution in support of Black lives

Yesterday, the CFT Executive Council passed an urgent resolution that reaffirms our union’s position against systemic racism, emphatically stating that ALL Black Lives Matter.

The resolution was developed following CFT’s statement released after the killing of George Floyd, and after weeks during which CFT members statewide have joined protests to demand racial justice and to call for an end to police brutality. The CFT Racial Equity Task Force submitted the resolution to the Executive Council which passed the resolution, yesterday.

The resolution builds on our long standing dedication to eviscerating systemic racism, with commitments to dismantle barriers faced by Black CFT members, to diversity CFT staff at all levels through the union’s affirmative action policy, to actively engage employers to address systemic racism in the educational system, to work with local communities to push for the elimination of campus police departments and to redirect these funds toward counseling and student needs, and to fight budget cuts that disproportionately impact Black workers and communities.

CFT’s new resolution emphatically declares that ALL Black Lives Matter, and recognizes the value and dignity of every Black person, including men, women, all those along the gender spectrum, trans, queer, disabled, and undocumented alike.

Importantly, the resolution puts the full weight of our union behind these commitments to equity and justice, concluding that CFT will “fully engage all of its resources to achieve the goal in this resolution.”

Thanks to all the CFT members who have taken a stand in support of Black lives and in support of ending police brutality. The action taken yesterday by the CFT Executive Council reaffirms our union’s commitment to racial and social justice and the urgency of taking immediate action.

Victories at Supreme Court for LGBTQ communities and Dreamers

This week the U.S. Supreme Court with a 6-3 vote delivered a landmark decision that ruled gay and transgender workers throughout the country are protected against discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While California already has laws in place, the decision now extends these job protections nationwide. The ruling is a watershed moment for the LGBTQ community.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court also released an important decision with a vote of 5-4 against the Trump administration's attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The decision is a victory for our Dreamer students, who can continue to live, work, and study in the U.S. without the daily fear of deportation.

AFT President Randi Weingarten to join CFT President Jeff Freitas on Facebook Live this Friday at 3:00 p.m.

Tune in to CFT President Jeff Freitas’s weekly Facebook Live broadcast this Friday at 3:00 p.m., when he will be joined by AFT President Randi Weingarten. Randi will give an update on our national union’s efforts to pass the HEROES Act to secure essential funding for our schools and state and local governments. In recognition of the Juneteenth holiday, Randi and Jeff will also discuss our statewide and national efforts to combat racism and support Black Lives. RSVP here.