Hamtramck and Roseville Educators Celebrate 75 Years!
I had a great time last Tuesday getting to visit two of our awesome locals. The Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, AFT 1052, and Roseville Federation of Teachers, AFT 1071, are both celebrating their 75th birthdays this year. Both locals have a history of punching above their weight politically and taking on leadership roles within AFT Michigan. They also bring together teachers, paraprofessionals, and other support staff within their locals–providing a model of solidarity that helped inspire me when I was president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers to reach out and begin merger discussions with our sister locals.
Good News from the Michigan Court of Appeals
Today, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in the case regarding the bills that Republican Speaker of the Michigan House Matt Hall refuses to transmit to the Governor. The decision of the bipartisan panel, which includes Gov. Engler appointee Judge Murray and Gov. Snyder appointee Judge Cameron, was unanimous in ruling that Speaker Hall is constitutionally required to present to the governor bills that he has unconstitutionally withheld. The bills under dispute in the case include crucial protections for workers, including healthcare affordability, pension security, and debt collection reforms.
We Are Winning In The Fight Against Trump’s Higher Education Compact!
So far, 7 out of 9 named institutions have rejected President Donald Trump’s illegal offer—to give them preferential federal funding if they agree to policy commitments aligned with Trump’s views—but Trump has now broadened his offer to include all of our universities. We can beat back loyalty oaths and intimidation tactics everywhere. Sign the alumni petition calling on your alma mater to reject the compact, or sign our public sign-on letter as a higher education worker to keep the compact off your campus. You can learn more about the fight in defense of higher ed by watching the Oct. 17 AAUP/AFT National Teach-In Against Loyalty Oaths.
No One Should Go Hungry in America
SNAP will run out of money Nov. 1. And while the Trump administration and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are required by law to continue funding SNAP, they have decided to ignore the law and abandon the millions of families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities who need SNAP to survive.
No one should go hungry in the United States. Click here to protect SNAP.
More than 40 million people, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors and 4 million people with disabilities, rely on SNAP. Nearly 16 million SNAP recipients in the past year were working people like us who needed an extra hand to feed their families. And in the history of the program, no matter what party was in power, Congress and past presidential administrations have always protected SNAP during previous shutdowns. This shutdown should be no different.
HELU Senate Town Hall Series
Higher Ed Labor United invites members to join the Michigan Senate Candidate Town Hall Series, featuring Democratic candidates discussing their higher education policy agendas and fielding questions directly from faculty, staff, and students.
Event Dates:
- November 5, 7:30 PM – Mallory McMorrow
- November 10, 6:00 PM – Abdul El-Sayed and Rachel Howard
Each candidate will spend 30–40 minutes responding to both prepared and audience questions about issues impacting our campuses and university hospitals.
Please register at: https://tinyurl.com/MISenateTownHalls
CLCS UM-Dearborn Fall Leadership Institute
CLCS annual Fall Leadership Institute will be held on November 20-22 at UM-Dearborn, Fairlane Center South. The Fall Leadership Institute offers workshops for everyone – from seasoned leaders and those aspiring for leadership. This conference has extra course offerings especially geared for those interested in becoming leaders in their union and the labor movement in general. Participants from all genders and all cultural or ethnic backgrounds are welcome to attend.
For more information and to register click here.
Contribute to the AFT Michigan PAC Today
AFT Michigan fights for our members, students, patients 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!
Happy Halloween!
This Halloween support union members by handing out union made sweet treats. Check out a complete list of union made treats at: https://aflcio.org/MadeInAmerica/halloween
Looking to brew up classroom magic this October? This spooktacular collectionis packed with treats–not tricks–including eerie STEM experiments, creative art projects and chillingly clever lesson plans for PreK-12. Whether you’re summoning curiosity or conjuring critical thinking, these resources will keep your students engaged and enchanted.
In solidarity,
Terrence Martin
President
