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AFT Delegate's Report: Sandi Cooper

8/27/2016

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Three GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended The AFT's 84th convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from July 18-21. Here's what our delegates have to say:

SANDI ROSENZWEIG-COOPER 

AFT DELEGATE

Mid-July I was honored to represent the GNTA at the biennial AFT Convention in Minneapolis, If you want to be energized and empowered about our profession, this is the way to do it. With the attendance of more than 3,000 members nationwide, the 4-day convention begins at a fast pace and continues that way throughout the four days. 


First order of affairs is to review the multitude of resolutions that will be discussed and voted on in the days to come.  At first glance, it can be overwhelming as the resolutions address issues and concerns that seem outside of the realm of education.  I confess, for a long time I thought of the teachers’ union as a union created solely for the support of our profession and the concerns of our students. However, it quickly became clear that as a union, our focus goes far beyond the brick and mortar of our profession.  From the ban on fracking, to the Flint, Michigan water crisis, from immigration and Islamophobia, to gun control, to Black Lives Matter and sepsis awareness/education, the breadth and scope of our union is incredible. 

The AFT Convention provides a forum for the voices of all our members throughout the country to be heard.  Listening to a teacher speak about the Flint water catastrophe and the long term effects on Flints’ citizens, was bone chilling.  Her plea for support for the people of her community and for all communities who may someday face the same end, was heard by all as we voted and passed the resolution to “unequivocally support the repeal of Michigan’s emergency manager law, Public Act 436, and support the Flint community in its ongoing efforts to have Flint declared a federal disaster area.”  

‘Si se puede!’ became the rallying cry when raising the issues of improving the outcomes of Latino children and addressing the needs of the Latino community in general.  As speakers rose to share their concerns about the Latino communities in their area, the members came together to pass the resolution which stated: “that the American Federation of Teachers will focus its efforts to elevate the importance of Latino issues to the union in three areas:  programs and initiatives, policy and campaigns, and communications.”  

Additionally, the members unanimously, and strongly, passed a resolution that would “ensure that the union would lobby Congress to remove the congressional block on gun violence research.”

I felt pride in the breadth of issues and concerns that the AFT put its energy and power behind. I felt energized by the commitment and dedication of our members.  And, as I marched though downtown Minneapolis with fellow teachers and union members, demanding the respect for Philando Castile who was shot by a police officer not too far from where the convention was being held, and had been an active member of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers, I felt empowered by not only the numbers of members marching, but the passion each had for Philando and all lives being lost to these senseless shootings.  

We are the AFT and each day that we stand up against the inequities and inequalities around us, we make the AFT stronger.  I am so honored to have been able to attend this year’s convention, and am even more honored to be an active member of the  AFT and NYSUT.  

With pride and solidarity,  Sandi Rosenzweig-Cooper
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AFT Delegate Report: Jim Daszenski

8/23/2016

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Three GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended The AFT's 84th convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from July 18-21. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JIM DASZENSKI 
President, GNTA

It was a tremendous honor to be one of GNTA’s three representatives (and one of over 3000 that gathered from all across the United States) to attend the American Federation of Teachers biennial convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota this summer. From July 17-21, delegates were treated to numerous speeches by political big shots and educational luminaries. However, one speech stood out from the others. Not because it was the most humorous or the most poignant (it was neither of those), but because it was, by far, the most significant and promising for our cause as educators and unionists. It was the first time in a very long time that I heard a presidential candidate for a major political party express intelligent and common sense ideas not just about the state of education in America, but to proclaim the positive role that public unions play in educating our young. I’m referring, of course, to the speech given by Hillary Clinton.


AFT President Randi Weingarten introduced Clinton and framed this year’s presidential election as “a moment of reckoning for our country,” saying that this November’s contest is a “battle for [America’s] soul and for our children’s future.” Weingarten was certain to note Clinton’s lifetime of fighting for public and early childhood education, human rights, economic opportunity for all, and universal healthcare. She sharply contrasted the Democratic nominee with her opponent, Donald Trump: “What do you call it when a candidate for president debases an entire religion, mocks a disabled reporter, refers to women as pigs, and calls Mexicans rapists? I call it a threat to civil society, to decency, and to the values that underpin our country. Frankly, it is perilously close to fascism.”

Hillary Clinton received tremendous applause as she went on to outline her vision for public education in the next four years. The (then) presumptive Democratic nominee rejected a return to the kind of top-down reform we’ve seen under the Obama administration. Instead, she acknowledged that real educational improvement comes when those in power forge a partnership with the teaching professionals on the front lines. She said, “I want to thank you for being one of the essential partners for everything we need to do to move the country in the right direction. I want to say right from the outset that I’m with you. When I’m president, you will always have a partner in the White House, and you will always have a seat at the table.” 

Most impressive, however, was her unabashed support for public unions and the values that we espouse. Clinton is an advocate for higher salaries for teachers and school-related professionals, career-long professional development, and relief from the oppressive burdens of student debt. And, she insisted, that to make these a reality would require the active participation of unions: “If we are serious about supporting educators, we need to support unions.” She vowed to be an enemy in the White House to those who support reckless charter school expansions, the privatization of public education, and the imposition of vouchers. 

The following day, AFT delegates voted overwhelmingly to endorse Hillary Clinton for president. To this delegate, the choice is clear. Clinton has the opportunity to make history in November, not just because she could be the first woman ever elected president, but because she truly understands and values the importance of what we all do every day in our classrooms and in our buildings. I would urge you to watch her speech for yourself andmake sure you’re registered to vote in this November’s election.

In solidarity,

Jim Daszenski
GNTA President & AFT Delegate
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AFT Delegate Report: Jeff Bernstein

8/23/2016

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Three GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended The AFT's 84th convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from July 18-21. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JEFF BERNSTEIN 

GNTA High School Director

I attended the biennial AFT Convention in Minneapolis this July representing the GNTA. It was my first AFT convention, and it was an honor to represent our members. Having attended the NYSUT Representative Assembly for the past three years, I was not surprised to find how similarly the AFT operates. Of course the major difference is that there were representatives from around the country, and although there are issues that are particular to different states, there is much that unites us.

From union leaders to leading politicians, the lineup of speakers was inspiring and made clear the power and reach of the AFT. We heard from Leo Gerard, the President of the United Steelworkers and Dolores Huerta, one of the founders of the United Farm Workers, Congressmen Keith Ellison and Bobby Scott, Governor Mark Dayton, Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. International speakers included a young woman member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Palestinian educator and an Israeli educator working together to build schools where Israelis and Palestinians can learn together and from each other.

There was recognition and discussion of events in our country beyond education. A number of Florida educators were wearing #Orlando United shirts, which are a fundraiser for the OneOrlando Fund for the benefit of the survivors and families of the victims of the shootings at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Because of the interest of members from around the country, the link to order was posted and announced from the chair a number of times. http://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2016/06/14/orlandounited-t-shirts I ordered one online and had it within days.

In the weeks leading up to the convention, Alton Sterling was shot by police in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile was shot by a police officer not too far from where the convention was being held. Philando Castile worked in a school in St. Paul and was an active member of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers. Many teachers joined with activists to protest these killings. http://www.startribune.com/teachers-join-activists-to-protest-castile-shooting/387511391/#1A special order of business on fighting for safe communities and racial justice for citizens and for first responders was overwhelmingly passed by members.

During the business portion of the convention there were many resolutions discussed and debated in committee and then on the convention floor. The issues they addressed ranged from education to international events. The complete list can be found at http://www.aft.org/about/resolutions.

One of the more controversial debates had to do with a proposal to change the way in which AFT endorses candidates. Those supporting the proposal felt that the early endorsement of Hillary Clinton during the Democratic Primary was premature and should have been done with greater member input. This was similar in many ways to the debates at the NYSUT RA over the election of regional directors that I wrote about after the RA earlier this year. As at the RA, many from UFT, which is run by the Unity Caucus that requires its members to vote as a bloc directed by their leadership, and which had the largest number of votes at AFT of any local in the country by far, argued that the process works and there is no need to make it more democratic. The proposal was defeated.

Respectfully submitted,

​Jeff Bernstein ​
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Great Neck Teachers Association
NYSUT, AFT-NEA, AFL-CIO #2686 | The Cottage • 343 Lakeville Road • Great Neck, NY 11020 
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