Register now for CFT’s Jan. 23 online governor candidates forum
Next Friday, January 23 from 1:45-4:45 p.m., CFT will host an online forum featuring the major candidates for Governor of California. The structure of the forum will follow the same format as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction forum we hosted last fall, with CFT President Jeff Freitas interviewing the candidates one on one.
All CFT members are encouraged to register now for the online forum. Following the event, there will be an opportunity for you to provide feedback on each of the candidates. Note: For those attending the AFT regional meeting in person that weekend, there is no need to register for the event.
CFT members hit the ground running to renew Prop. 55, the Millionaires Tax
CFT members throughout the state are out in force collecting signatures to qualify a critical tax initiative for the November ballot, including members of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1078 (pictured above). The new initiative would make permanent Prop. 55, otherwise known as the Millionaire's Tax, a measure first passed in 2012 and then renewed in 2016.
Prop. 55, which constitutes about 15% of school funding in California by taxing many of the wealthiest Californians, is set to expire in 2030. Failing to renew Prop. 55 would not only amount to a massive tax cut for California millionaires, but would ultimately cost our schools tens of billions of dollars in the coming years.
“CFT led the way many years ago to pass the Millionaire’s Tax,” says CFT President Jeff Freitas, “and now we have the opportunity to lead once again to make this progressive tax permanent.”
Interested in helping collect signatures? Contact your local union president or email [email protected] to get petitions.
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Every year we observe Martin Luther King Day to reflect on the work that still needs to be done for racial equality. We also remember the vision that Dr. King carried in seeing the connection between achieving racial equality and supporting the labor movement. Most people know Dr. King only as a civil rights leader, but we also remember him as a powerful labor leader.
For more on how you can honor Dr. King in the classroom and in your communities, see CFT’s MLK Day resources page.
News in Brief
Online faculty vote to join Alliant Federation of Educators, Fresno – Congratulations to the online clinical counseling faculty (pictured above) who unanimously voted to join the Alliant Federation of Educators, Fresno, AFT Local 6306 this week. The faculty join their fellow educators at Alliant University, which offers accredited programs in psychology, education, nursing, and more. Primary issues facing the faculty include pay discrepancies and class sizes.
Take the AFT debt survey on affordability – As costs for many expenses continue to soar, including housing, healthcare, child care, college tuition, and more, the AFT has launched a confidential online survey to better understand how debt is affecting your financial situation and everyday life. Your feedback will help our national union shape the resources we build and the work we all take on to help members get the relief they need. Take the survey here.
