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AFT Massachusetts Convention

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AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and Secretary-Treasurer Brant Duncan are thrilled to announce the winners of the union’s 2022 Distinguished Service Awards. The Distinguished Service Awards are presented annually to AFT Massachusetts members who have demonstrated an outstanding level of service and dedication to their local union. The awards recognize the substantial contributions made to the development of the union at the state and local levels, from membership building and leadership training to the advancement of political and professional issues important to the union. MORE
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After the battles and hardship of the last two years, we’re ready to Emerge Stronger! at the 2022 AFT Massachusetts Convention on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve fought hard to win critical workplace protections, protect our students and the public, and adequately fund our public schools and colleges. As we emerge out of the crisis phase of the pandemic and into a changed world, it’s just as important that we continue fighting to deliver the schools and libraries our communities deserve, the services and staffing our students need, and the workplace protections AFT members rely on. On May 7, AFT Massachusetts members from across the state will celebrate our victories, discuss the battles we face, and be inspired to act. MORE
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Help the AFT Massachusetts celebrate the service of an educator, librarian, nurse, or school related-personnel whose leadership has made our union stronger. Nominations are now being accepted for our 2022 Distinguished Service Awards, which recognize substantial contributions made to the development of the union at the state and local levels, from membership building and leadership training to the advancement of political and professional issues important to the union. Who will you nominate to be recognized at the AFT Massachusetts annual convention in May 2022? MORE
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Every year AFT Massachusetts awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. The awards, named in honor of former AFT leaders Kathy Kelley, Albert Shanker and Sandra Feldman, and for long-time AFT Massachusetts field representative Jay Porter, are awarded on the basis of a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.    “Now more than ever, it’s important for young people to understand the role of labor unions in our country’s history,” said AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos. “AFT Massachusetts is proud to offer these college scholarships to students who are part of our union family.” MORE
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On Saturday, May 1 AFT Massachusetts delegates from across the state met for the 2021 Annual Convention, with the theme of ‘Safety, Equity, and Transparency.’
 
Held virtually, the convention featured reflections on the past year of teaching, working, and advocating during the pandemic, as well as a focus on the work ahead for the education justice and labor movements. AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos, chairing her third convention, spoke about the resiliency of educators, librarians, and faculty during a year unlike any other.
 
“It’s not an overstatement to say that we could not have made it through the past year on our own,” she said. “But by working together through our union, we’ve been able to achieve significant victories and the light at the end of the tunnel is now in sight. We’ve fought for – and won – a voice in the school reopening process and greater protections for educators and our students. More and more educators and students are receiving their COVID-19 vaccines every day. With a new pro-public education, pro-union administration in Washington, our school districts are finally receiving the resources they need to start recovering from the pandemic.”
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AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and Secretary-Treasurer Brant Duncan are thrilled to announce the winners of the union’s 2021 Distinguished Service Awards.

The Distinguished Service Awards are presented annually to AFT Massachusetts members who have demonstrated an outstanding level of service and dedication to their local union.

MORE
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Every year AFT Massachusetts awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and Secretary-Treasurer Brant Duncan are thrilled to announce the recipients of the union’s 2021 Scholarship Awards.
 
The awards, named in honor of former AFT leaders Kathy Kelley, Albert Shanker and Sandra Feldman, and for long-time AFT Massachusetts field representative Jay Porter, are awarded on the basis of a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. The exam includes questions covering the history and structure of the labor movement in America, legislation affecting American workers, child labor laws, minimum wages, civil rights, safety and more, as well as a 500-word essay based on a current labor issue.
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Help the AFT Massachusetts celebrate the service of an educator, librarian, nurse, or school related-personnel whose leadership has made our union stronger. Nominations are now being accepted for our 2021 Distinguished Service Awards, which recognize substantial contributions made to the development of the union at the state and local levels, from membership building and leadership training to the advancement of political and professional issues important to the union.
 
Who will you nominate to be recognized at the AFT Massachusetts annual convention in May 2021?
MORE
scholarship_program_2021.png
Every year AFT Massachusetts awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. The awards, named in honor of former AFT leaders Kathy Kelley, Albert Shanker and Sandra Feldman, and for long-time AFT Massachusetts field representative Jay Porter, are awarded on the basis of a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. 
 
“Now more than ever, it’s important for young people to understand the role of labor unions in our country’s history,” said AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos. “AFT Massachusetts is proud to offer these college scholarships to students who are part of our union family.”
MORE
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AFT Massachusetts members gathered remotely on Saturday to celebrate the union’s past successes and organize for our future during for the union’s 2020 annual convention, with the theme “Let’s Keep Winning: Advancing Educational and Workplace Justice Through Union Activism.”

During the telephone town hall convention, Beth Kontos was reelected as President of AFT Massachusetts, and Brant Duncan was reelected as Secretary-Treasurer. These AFT Massachusetts leaders spoke about the union’s victories over the past year, from the Fund Our Future campaign that won a historic $1.5 billion school funding commitment at the state level, to growing political engagement in last year’s local elections and successful contract fights across the state. They also addressed the many challenges that educators, students, and parents face as we respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

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