Take action to support AB 477 – Increase funding for TK-12 salaries by 50% over ten years
With mounting attacks and threats from the Trump administration, our public schools are facing potentially massive federal cuts in the coming years. And amid this uncertainty, California continues to underfund our public schools – with too many schools facing staffing shortages exacerbated by low wages for teachers and school employees.
To address this crisis, CFT is sponsoring AB 477 (Muratsuchi), which would increase the base funding levels for our TK-12 schools over ten years with the intention of providing salary increases for all TK-12 school workers by 50%.
AB 477 has received overwhelming bipartisan support from the Legislature, passing with a near unanimous vote of 72-1 out of the Assembly in May. But now AB 477 is in danger of not passing out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and we need your help.
Please take a moment to sign this CFT letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Anna Caballero, urging her to bring AB 477 up for a vote in her committee and send this critical legislation on to the full State Senate and the Governor’s desk.
August 28 Webinar: Workers rights and responsibilities in the Trump era
As the new school year begins educators and school workers have growing concerns about the escalating actions by the Trump administration, from ICE showing up on our campuses, to the crackdown on free speech and peaceful protests, to attacks on academic freedom, and more.
Join us next Thursday, August 28 from 4:00–5:30 p.m. for this timely Zoom training from legal experts who will help us better understand our rights and responsibilities as educators and school employees during this difficult time, in order to protect our students, ourselves, our coworkers, and our communities. RSVP here.
Worksite leaders training inspires leadership
CFT local leaders and site leaders from throughout northern California gathered last weekend at the CFT Bay Area office in Emeryville for a half-day workshop on building effective leadership at worksites.
With representatives from seven CFT locals, the fruitful day was laser focused on developing site-based leadership to build the union and achieve results for our fellow members and our students.
Brandon Diniz, President of Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1936, was glad his local turned out a large group to attend the training. “Our members who attended left the training empowered to organize our work sites and fight for our students’ learning conditions,” said Brandon.
Thanks to all the CFT leaders and activists who attended our worksite and local union trainings over the summer. We are eager to see all the good work in the coming school year!
Take Action: Workers over Billionaires this Labor Day
At marches, rallies, picnics and parades this Labor Day, workers and union members will celebrate the power we have when we come together to demand dignity, affordability, and opportunity. The events will also be an opportunity for working people to fight back against growing inequality in our country, which, as AFT President pointed out in her column this week, has returned to Gilded Age levels.
We are focusing on two major rallies. First, the Los Angeles march and rally, which will take place on Monday, September 1 with participants gathering at 8:00 a.m. at Broad and E. Street in Wilmington, for a 10:00 a.m. march to Banning Park, where a noontime rally and picnic will take place. You can find more details and RSVP here.
Second, the San Francisco event, which will take place on Monday, September 1 with participants gathering at the intersection of 16th and Bryant Streets for an 11:00 a.m. march to Mission Dolores Park for a rally and fair. You can find more details and RSVP here.
Can't make it to LA or SF? The California Federation of Labor Unions has also put together a great list of Labor Day events throughout the state.
There are also great curricula available from our Labor and Climate Justice Education Committee and from Share My Lesson on teaching labor history and Labor Day.
News in Brief
CFT Back to School tour in full swing. This week CFT’s elected leaders once again hit the road to visit local unions and to visit schools and classrooms throughout the state. Stops this week included visiting paraeducators from AFT Local 1921 in Gilroy, faculty from AFT 1521 in Los Angeles and AFT 4400 in Cabrillo, and K-12 teachers in Berkeley (AFT Local 1078) and Petaluma (AFT 1881). Pictured above: faculty from Cabrillo College Federation of Teachers.
August 25 Webinar: Defending Democracy: Latin American Resistance to Authoritarianism. On Monday, August 25 the AFT, Albert Shanker Institute, and IEAL will host a 2:00 p.m. PT webinar that will feature education union leaders from throughout Latin America who will discuss the tactics and political muscle that sustain democracy movements throughout the region. All CFT members are welcome. For more information and to RSVP, click here.
