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AFT Convention Daily: Tuesday July 23, 2024
‘A moment of crisis and possibility’: Scholars’ panel on November’s stakes
Delegates were riveted Tuesday morning as AFT President Randi Weingarten convened a panel of scholars at the forefront of our country’s debate on the future of our democracy: African American studies professor and bestselling author Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., history professor and Dissent magazine emeritus co-editor Michael Kazin, and veteran labor journalist and Century Foundation senior fellow Steven Greenhouse.
AFT celebrates historic organizing wins
AFT’s belief that organizing is the way to gain upward economic mobility and make a better life for working people, families and communities has led to the union’s unprecedented growth from 1.4 million members when Randi Weingarten became AFT president in 2008 to 1.8 million today.
General session speakers address priorities from gun violence to climate change
A constellation of speakers addressed AFT members about issues ranging from gun violence to vouchers to reproductive rights during Tuesday’s general session at the AFT Convention in Houston. The issues are all priorities for the AFT, making outside speakers especially salient, said AFT President Randi Weingarten.
AFT honors a champion of women’s rights, strategizes to vote for justice
The award may have been kept secret, but it’s no secret that AFT President Randi Weingarten is a powerful advocate for women. On Tuesday, she received the AFT Women’s Rights Award for her remarkable life of activism. Then, during the Human Rights Luncheon, other AFT members and partners received Drum Major for Justice awards for their work in social justice, and a panel of experts strategized about electing Kamala Harris as our next president of the United States.
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Talking consumer rights with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Rohit Chopra
Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, joined AFT President Randi Weingarten for an insightful and lively one-on-one discussion covering a broad range of topics, including debt, private equity accountability, junk fees, privacy and data protection, and Big Tech.
Breakfasts offer fellowship and further the fight for real solutions
At the AFT convention in Houston on Tuesday morning, delegates gathered for breakfasts offering fellowship and a deeper dive into real solutions for their students, patients, communities and colleagues. At the Public Employees Jim McGarvey breakfast, labor journalist Steven Greenhouse talked about the essential role workers must play in the design and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies. Personal stories of the struggle for civil rights and the continued fight for a living wage, safe working conditions, and respect and dignity on the job were the centerpiece of the PSRP breakfast. Wendy Dean, an expert on burnout and moral injury, shared actionable strategies to tackle moral injury, followed by a lively question-and-answer session, during the AFT Nurses and Health Professionals breakfast. The Higher Education breakfast featured a conversation with author Astra Taylor on using solidarity to advocate for debt cancellation and other solutions necessary for a healthy democracy. And at the community schools breakfast, participants learned from a panel of members who shared best practices, helping others build on their successes.
Resolutions passed on everything from the Supreme Court to climate justice
On Tuesday, delegates got down to business, passing 13 resolutions—including a special order of business thanking President Joe Biden for being a champion of workers and democracy. Tackling what’s at stake this November, the AFT resolved to engage in “an all-in campaign in the defense of a free nation.” Regarding the Supreme Court’s overreach, the AFT will try to reverse decisions that abridge Americans’ basic freedoms. And a resolution on decarbonization of our buildings commits to helping every community make the transition to clean energy and engaging youth in climate-justice curricula.
Turning to economic concerns with major implications for our communities, resolutions were adopted on paid family leave, the harmful impact of private equity and opposing vouchers. And expanding our commitment to organizing, delegates approved resolutions calling for spreading the culture of organizing to every affiliate, preparing to counter elites’ attacks on workers and the National Labor Relations Board, and providing education and resources to successfully engage in labor actions, including strikes. The AFT also joined the United Auto Workers in striving to align contract expirations for International Workers’ Day, with the aim of a mass strike on May 1, 2028, as a way to advance racial, economic and social justice.
To address maternal mortality, the AFT will support legislation for birthing centers and address unconscious bias affecting care. And in a resolution calling on the archivist of the United States to publish the Equal Rights Amendment, the AFT resolved to educate members about constitutional protections against sex-based discrimination.
Worth checking out
- Check out members' reactions to the AFT's endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
- Get more information on the AFT convention on our website, including videos and daily updates.
- View today's photo gallery.
This daily update is produced by the AFT communications department. Photos by Pamela Wolfe, Russ Curtis and Suzannah Hoover.