Restoring Our Rights-June 15 Lobby Day
To date, not one public sector labor bill has passed the House and Senate. While we are hopeful some will pass the House this week, we need to get them through the Senate as well. And there are other important bills we must have the legislature pass. We have only three weeks before the legislature goes on summer recess.
Building on the momentum from our May 4 Lobby Day in conjunction with the Michigan AFL-CIO, our UAW brothers and sisters will be hosting a lobby day on June 15, 2023 at 8:30 am, to advocate with legislators about these bills and others needed to reverse the Snyder/Engler attacks. It is imperative that these bills are passed and signed into law before legislators leave for summer recess. We will meet at 215 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 and need you to be there to tell them the importance of these bills and as a show of solidarity with all our members.
Here is the link to register: https://actionnetwork.org/events/citizen-lobby-day-june-15th.
60th Commemorative Freedom Walk
Join the Detroit Branch NAACP for the MLK 60th Commemorative Freedom Walk on Saturday, June 24, at 10 am step-off and Rally at 12 noon at Hart Plaza. On June 23, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King first delivered his “I have a Dream” speech in Detroit. Please register for the walk and encourage your Family, Friends, Congregations, Co-Workers, Labor, Sororities, Fraternities and others to attend. Let’s come together and make this weekend a success.
Juneteenth Teaching Resources
Learn how teaching Juneteenth empowers students to connect with their own communities and to become advocates in a diverse democracy.
Use these lessons and activities to teach the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed the end of slavery to individuals in Galveston, Texas.
3rd Annual AFT Michigan Pride Picnic – June 24
Join together with AFT Michigan’s Queer Caucus for our 3rd annual Pride Picnic on Saturday, June 24, from 3-7pm at Ford Field Park in Dearborn, MI. This is a family-friendly, relaxed event open to all AFT Michigan union members (non-LGBTQ+ allies are most welcome!).
Please RSVP here so we can plan for food and other fun activities. Questions? Can you help make the picnic a success? Contact Erin Lavin (elavin@aftmichigan.org).
AFT Michigan Marches With Pride
AFT Michigan joined the Metro Detroit Pride Parade yesterday. Thanks to, from left: Chelsea Lonsdale from Henry Ford Community College Federation of Teachers, Lori Chapman, President of the Macomb Community College Faculty Organization, Deborah Kingery, President of the WSU Union of Part-Time Faculty, AFT Michigan Staff Representative Erin Lavin, and Eric Rader, President of the HFCC Federation of Teachers, for joining with thousands from metro Detroit marching and others watching the parade.
Support EMUFT in Bargaining
EMUFT has been hard at work negotiating a new joint contract for the Part-Time and Full-Time Lecturers who make up the Non-Tenure Track Faculty at EMU. Negotiations started in March and the EMU administration presented their first proposals for salary increases and promotions last week on Thursday, April 18. While there were some positive developments, EMU’s proposals threaten job security, make it more difficult for Part-Time Faculty to get promoted, provide no way for Lecturers to have any voice in decisions that directly affect their working conditions, increase healthcare costs and provide no health care or retirement benefits even for the many Lecturers teaching more than Tenure-Track Faculty, and do very little to positively affect stagnant wages that have fallen drastically behind inflation. A Part-Time Lecturer hired 10 years ago at EMU now earns 11% less when adjusted for inflation. To make matters worse, EMU is proposing a cap on the number of classes PTLs can teach any given semester below current levels.
Sign the Solidarity Petition to support EMUFT members in their fight for better working conditions.
Support GEO
GEO continues to fight for a fair contract. Bargaining continues, but with minimal progress. You can support the striking GSIs by contributing to the strike fund at https://t.co/wlbTgvTnSf.
Contribute to the AFT Michigan PAC Today
AFT Michigan fights for our members, students and communities all year round and we need your help. Can you donate $1 a week to aid us in this fight? Please visit the AFT Michigan website to contribute and make a big difference in protecting public education and building a better Michigan future!
Mandated Support in Education Webinar – June 22
Join the new webinar, Mandated Support in Education, co-hosted with Share My Lesson and AFT Children’s Health, Safety and Well-Being, on Thursday, June 22, from 2–3:30 p.m. EDT.
For decades, educators have questioned mandatory reporting. Many educators have been dismayed to see the intrusive surveillance, coercion and painful family separation that sometimes result from mandatory reporting, especially among marginalized families. What is truly best for our students?
The term “mandated support,” coined by JMacforFamilies, outlines a more expansive approach and a broader menu of ethical options for caring professionals. The American Federation of Teachers has developed a guide for mandated support in education.
If your work intersects with health, policy, education, child welfare or social work, you won’t want to miss this free webinar.
In solidarity,
David Hecker
President
