79th AFT Michigan Convention

79th Convention Summary

Our 79th Convention was held on May 2, 2026, at the Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit with 140 delegates from 32 locals, along with 65 guests. Highlights included:

- Greetings from Ron Bieber (MI AFL-CIO) and and a keynote conversation between President Terrence Martin and AFT President Randi Weingarten
- A Senate Candidate Forum in which delegates got to hear substantive discussion of the issues from Abdul El-Sayed, Mallory McMorrow, and Haley Stevens
- Honoring great people and organizations with awards, including:
  - - The John McDonald Union-Building Award: Taylor Federation of Teachers
    - The E’Lois Moore-Michele Artt Retiree Activist Award: Andella White, Detroit Federation of Teachers/Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals
    - The Walter Bergman Human Rights Award: Members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers advocating for immigrant rights
- Honoring great worksite leaders with the Building the Frontlines Award:
  - - Stathis Pauls, MSU Extension United, Local #1855
    - Josh Hansknecht, Hamtramck Fed of Teachers, Local #1052
    - Courtney Iwanicki, United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals, Local #6739
- Celebrating the members of new bargaining units who organized and affiliated with AFT since our last convention, including:
  - - Organizing Wins
      - Hamtramck Fed of Teachers (Behavioral Interventionists & Cultural Facilitators)
        
        MSU UNTF (MSU Extension Faculty & Staff)
        
        University Staff United
        
        UM GEO (Graduate Student Research Assistants)
        
        UMMAP (Hospital Services)
        
        WEOCFT
    - Affiliations
      - UM House Officers Association
    - Local Mergers
      - Detroit Fed of Teachers and Detroit Fed of Paraprofessionals
        
        Lake City Fed of Teachers and Lake City Fed of Support Staff
- Recognizing three locals leading the way in PAC fundraising:
  - - United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals, Local #6739
    - UM Lecturers Employee Organization, Local #6244
    - Detroit Federation of Teachers, Local #231

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Delegates approved the proposed amendments to the Constitution, which included:

- A dues increase of $3.00 (1.2%) to the full per capita rate in September 2026 and $3.00 (1.2%) in September 2027, with proportional increases to half, quarter and eighth dues in the traditional system;
- A reduction in the rate paid by locals in the percentage system from 0.4% of salary to 0.385% to stay in balance with the traditional system;
- Creating three new Executive Vice President roles aligned with our three main constituencies (Healthcare, Higher Ed, and PreK-12), and
- Creating dedicated board positions and constituency committees for Tenure-Track Faculty and Higher Ed Staff.