CFT members join May Day rallies across the state
Yesterday CFT members from every division joined over eighty May Day rallies across the state, including mass rallies in San Francisco and Los Angeles. May Day is recognized around the world as International Workers Day, traditionally a day of marches and actions for labor solidarity. The actions this year were a defiant way for labor and community to stand together as the Trump administration’s war on working people continues.
The day of unity was no better exemplified than at the Preuss School on the UC San Diego campus, where UC-AFT members (pictured above) took part in a sympathy strike in support of striking AFSCME 3299 and UPTE workers. Teachers in the Preuss School are locked in difficult contract negotiations as well, with issues of low pay, staffing, and turnover hampering their ability to offer a quality education to the primarily low-income students they serve.
Watch this great video from chief negotiator Dave Weber on why the May Day sympathy strike was so important to their members and their school.
Tell Gov. Newsom: No cuts to UC
Governor Newsom has proposed an almost 8% cut to state funding to UC in the coming school year and a delay in the 5% increase in state funding he has promised to our students through an agreement known as the multi-year compact. Massive cuts in funding in the coming year could devastate UC’s ability to offer a quality education to our students, and would put a huge pressure on our UC system to raise tuition. Our students deserve better.
Please sign this letter today, urging Governor Newsom and our elected leaders in Sacramento to stand with our students and with our flagship UC system by stopping the proposed cuts.
Upcoming trainings
May 15 webinar: Unemployment insurance workshop for contingent faculty – On Thursday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m. CFT will host a webinar for part-time faculty on navigating unemployment. The workshop will guide faculty through the online unemployment filing process, for both new and reopened claims. How to deal with phone interviews, denials, and appeals will also be covered. Register here.
AFT student debt clinics: May 15 & 27 – The AFT will offer student debt clinics for all members on May 15 and May 17 at 4:00 p.m. PST. New rules have made Public Service Loan Forgiveness more accessible to more public service workers, but the path to reaching forgiveness can be complex and overwhelming. This session will provide a grounding in how income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness work, demonstrate how to apply for them, and identify resources that will make applying for these programs and managing your student loans a breeze. Register here.
