Sunny,
Inside CFTSeptember 26, 2012
An election campaign message from CFT president Joshua Pechthalt:I have recently returned from the national AFT Executive Council meeting in Washington D.C., and in addition to catching you up on our election campaign in California I wanted to report on a couple other matters of interest to you from elsewhere in the country.
Chicago strike
The heroic fight of Chicago educators was a central topic at the AFT Executive Council meeting. As many Council members noted, the Chicago Teachers Union strike helped remind us that organizing, building alliances with parents and community members and putting people in the streets to fight on behalf of principle have always been—and remain—essential elements of the labor movement. CTU President Karen Lewis was given a heroine’s welcome, and she made of point of thanking AFT President Randi Weingarten, the AFT and the entire labor movement for their support. CFT sent a financial contribution to CTU and a participant/observer to Chicago, as well as a letter to Rahm Emanuel demanding that he bargain in good faith with the CTU.
While the CTU did not get everything it wanted, the outcome is clearly better for teachers, students and parents than it would have been without a strike. A substantial raise, a commitment that half of the teachers hired in new and newly reopened schools would be from the ranks of laid off teachers, and a reduction in the percentage of teacher evaluation based on student test scores, were all important differences compared to the district’s offer before the strike. And for once, the national media conversation on education reform wasn’t dominated by non-teachers. More information.
To underscore the need for building community alliances, hundreds of parents, students and community members from around the country came to the nation’s Capitol to express their opposition to school closings that disproportionately punish children of color in poor and working class communities. Many community members then joined President Weingarten and the AFT Executive Council for a press conference to reaffirm the need for parents and teachers to work together for education reform that values students and teachers rather than the market driven reforms being promoted by many politicians, corporations and wealthy individuals.
Election campaign
The CFT’s locals are in full election gear now, and there are some especially inspirational tales to share. Hats off to the San Diego AFT Guild's phone-banking efforts. Local president Jim Mahler reports that they have been making about 1,000 calls per day: “So far we are at about 12,000 calls. We have called our local members (current and past), and Palomar classified and faculty locals.” And demonstrating the importance of solidarity, the Oxnard Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1273, is working hard to elect Steve Hall, president of neighboring AFT Local 1828, the Ventura County Federation of College Teachers, to their school board! Local 1273 members have been getting the word out about Yes on 30, No on 32, and Steve Hall for School Board by talking to members one-on-one at school sites and participating in precinct walks. Next week, they plan to expand their program by adding phone banking, and they will be calling members and urging them to support Steve for school board.
New CFT election website
The CFT has launched a special election website, www.cft2012.org. Go here for a simple voter guide for YOUR ballot of CFT endorsed candidates and proposition. By clicking on the voter guide button and typing in your address you get a personalized endorsement list. Also to be found here: campaign toolkits for YES on Prop 30 and NO on Prop 32, and contact information for the local election staff who can help you get plugged into activities in this critical election.
University of California YES on Prop 30 Day of Action, October 16
The UC-AFT, representing lecturers and librarians in the University of California system, is supporting a Yes on Prop 30 Day of Action, October 16. Throughout the state the UC campuses will bring the issues involved in Prop 30 to public attention with rallies, teach-ins, speak-outs, and more. Click here for a flyer.
I know you are working hard, as always, to educate California’s students. But if you can find the time to spend just a few hours phone-banking, handing out flyers, or talking with your family and friends and neighbors about Proposition 30 (YES!) and Proposition 32 (NO!) your job—the jobs of all educators in California—will become better supported after November 6.
In solidarity,
Joshua Pechthalt, president
California Federation of Teachers
