AFT Convention Daily: Thursday July 25, 2024

Kamala Harris throws down the gauntlet to extremists in rousing speech to the AFT

Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris chose the AFT as the first union to address since announcing her candidacy, calling the work our members do, “The most noble of work.” And the feeling is mutual. The AFT was the first union to endorse Harris, and delegates and their families flocked the convention hall in Houston to hear Harris fearlessly challenge Trump and extremists, vowing to fight for our fundamental freedoms and a future of opportunity for all. As one delegate said, “It’s a whole new energy.”

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Top national officers reelected, recommit to Real Solutions

On the final day of the AFT convention, delegates reelected Randi Weingarten as president, Fedrick C. Ingram as secretary-treasurer and Evelyn DeJesus as executive vice president. Additionally, 43 vice presidents were elected to the union’s executive council.

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Rev. Dr. Haynes III calls for real solutions to transform America

In a powerful address on the closing day of the AFT convention, Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III urged delegates to “join Team Unhinged” and fight for the real solutions that address injustice and create a better America for all.

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Women’s Rights Breakfast highlights Mothering Justice

“Dangerous women” dominated the Women’s Rights Breakfast Thursday morning as Women’s Committee co-chairs Karla Hernández-Mats (AFT vice president and president of the United Teachers of Dade) and Jessica Tang (AFT vice president and president of AFT Massachusetts) recognized members for their years of service “on the frontlines of real solutions,” and members took notes on an inspirational presentation by Danielle Atkinson, who founded Mothering Justice, an empowerment and leadership development organization for mothers.

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Resolutions deepen AFT’s fight for a better life for all

The AFT’s delegates closed our 2024 convention by passing 12 resolutions, including a special order of business calling out the danger to our country posed by Project 2025 and promising to fight any candidates or legislation supporting its far-right, anti-democratic agenda.

The Schools and Colleges Support Staff Issues Committee’s resolutions call for expanding access to free healthy school meals and reducing food insecurity, and for ensuring safe air quality, including acceptable temperatures, in public schools. Resolutions from the Higher Education Committee advocate for real solutions, including organizing, advocating and bargaining for accessibility for students, job security and academic freedom; for upholding the original intent of affirmative action to promote diversity and representation; and for increasing collaboration between public schools and higher education institutions regarding dual credit courses.

The Public Services Committee’s resolutions pledge that the AFT will support affiliates in transforming government work into destination employment, will work to eliminate tax evasion in order to adequately fund public services, and will affirm that open water lifeguards qualify as first responders. Resolutions from the Retirement Committee celebrate Bea Lumpkin’s lifetime achievement fighting for working people, commit to reducing elder abuse by advocating for screenings and being a voice for older adults, and support the use of environmental, social and governance criteria in investment decisions and advocate for publicly traded corporations to report their carbon emissions.

Worth checking out

• Read all of the convention daily summaries on our website.
• View today's photo gallery.

This daily update is produced by the AFT communications department. Photos by Pamela Wolfe, Russ Curtis and Suzannah Hoover.