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AFT President Randi Weingarten unpacks the election results in her latest column and concludes that while “fear, anger and a sense of powerlessness in many ways fueled people’s votes,” moving forward means choosing a path of hope.
From student loan relief to immigration policy, endowment taxes and university accreditation, the next four years of a Trump administration are looking grim for higher education.
Students face increasing mental health challenges, and educators strive to support them. That’s why the new issue of American Educator is dedicated to the heart and soul of education: creating safe, welcoming spaces that focus on healing from trauma and restoring well-being.
“We are in another turbulent time. My remarks today are an attempt to chart a path forward—a path that leans…on hope, not fear, recognizing full well that fear, anger and a sense of powerlessness in many ways fueled the results of this election.”
Balancing Work and Family
Eleven union organizations raised their voices Sept. 16, amplifying a vision of higher education for the public good and calling on the Harris-Walz ticket to join them.
Organizing tips for real solutions in higher education
The AFT’s Real Solutions for Higher Education campaign is off and running, with grant proposals under review and last summer’s in-person workshop already informing plans at campuses across the country.
Psychological Safety at Work
Dr. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard business professor coined the term psychological safety and defined it as “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.”
Our union creates a win-win situation
The AFT released a video produced in collaboration with the union’s partners in the Middle East and issued the following statement from President Randi Weingarten commemorating the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks:
“Please take a few minutes to watch this video and share it with your colleagues, friends and family so they too can hear these remarkable testimonies. You may agree or disagree—that is your right—but hear them. Listen to them. They are trying to forge a path forward for peace, freedom, security and self-determination for the 7 million Palestinians and the 7 million Jews who call Israel and the Palestinian territories their home.”
For National Native American Heritage Month, O’Nan reflects on her experiences as a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and offers resources that explore true history instead of the inaccurate, diminishing stories still offered by some of our outdated educational systems.
Ohio faculty librarians fight against insulting contract offers
Faculty and librarians at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, have been negotiating a contract for as long as they’ve been in a union—about a year and a half. Still, there is no agreement, and members of the Faculty Alliance of Miami have run out of patience.
Legacy Health has long been a cornerstone of the healthcare landscape in Oregon, providing critical services and care to the community. Recently, however, a significant development has emerged: Healthcare workers at Legacy voted to form a new union in affiliation with the Oregon Nurses Association.
New survey: Teacher pay plays a big part in retention
The survey headline seems to state the obvious to anyone close to public education: “Larger Pay Increases and Adequate Benefits Could Improve Teacher Retention.”
More than 1,000 educators joined award-winning author Jason Reynolds in a conversation hosted by the AFT’s Share My Lesson and StoryCorps to hear a post-election story of hope—that started with a fall.
Higher Ed unions offer vision for colleges and universities
Eleven union organizations raised their voices Sept. 16, amplifying a vision of higher education for the public good and calling on the Harris-Walz ticket to join them.