AFT convention delegates unanimously passed a special order of business—recommended by the executive council—to fight back against attacks on unions and teachers like Vergara v. California and Harris v. Quinn, and to fight forward to reclaim the promise of America.
AFT President Randi Weingarten kicked off the AFT national convention in Los Angeles by outlining a bold plan to both fight back and fight forward to reclaim the promise of America and create economic and educational opportunity for all.
While the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the importance of collective bargaining and unions to families and communities in its ruling in Harris v. Quinn, let's be clear that working people, who have aspired to the middle class and tried to make a better life for their families, have taken it on the chin for years, AFT President Randi Weingarten says.
Findings from the 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) of middle school teachers present a stark contrast between how teachers in the United States are treated compared with the working conditions of their counterparts in top-performing countries.
In a message to members following the June 10 court decision inVergara v. California, AFT President Randi Weingarten and California Federation of Teachers President Joshua Pechthalt discuss the ramifications of the ruling and what the AFT is doing to fight back. They also are urging AFT members to sign a thank you card to California teachers to let them know you honor their commitment and courage.
AFT President Randi Weingarten says the decision in Vergara v. California is "a sad day for public education."