News from AFT Massachusetts and President Jessica Tang - August 2024

Happy Labor Day Weekend! As we celebrate all the victories the labor movement has won for working people, it’s also time to reflect on the work that remains. This November’s election will be critical to preserving our hard fought rights and victories, like ensuring all workers benefit from the strong labor protections we’ve won over the past century, and giving people in every industry a voice on the job through the ability to join a union.

Back-to-school season is also in full swing, and many of you are already in the classroom, welcoming students back to our K-12 schools and colleges. Others return this week. As you return, we hope you are talking to your fellow union members about your priorities for the school year, and what we can accomplish when we organize, fight and get out the vote together. As you welcome your students back, please remind them and their families to utilize our public libraries: a terrific year-round resource!

With Election Day approaching, our summer at AFT Massachusetts was anything but slow. Read on for updates on several of our union’s other activities and priorities this month:

I was honored to represent Massachusetts as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where I joined many of our federal, state, and local leaders to nominate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as our next President and Vice President. The excitement in the convention hall was incredible, and I’m only more fired up to elect Harris (an unapologetic supporter of unions and our members) and Walz (an AFT member and public school teacher who truly understands our needs).

I spoke with WBUR's Sharon Brody on All Things Considered about the feeling of hope that was so prevalent at the convention — listen here! And for a discussion of the Convention and the role of unions in our democracy - locally and nationally - please listen to my interview with Jennifer Smith for the latest episode of CommonWealth Beacon’s podcast, The Codcast.

In addition to the presidential race, there are a number of important elections on the Massachusetts ballot this fall, from state legislative races to ballot questions. The AFT Massachusetts Executive Board has endorsed US Senator Warren for reelection, and we’re working hard to send her back to Washington to continue fighting - and winning - on issues like student debt relief, taxing large corporations to help fund the fight against climate change, and rebuilding the middle class. Click here to view our September 2024 elections guide.

We’ve also endorsed a YES vote on Question 2, which would end the misuse of the MCAS test as a graduation requirement, and instead require that students demonstrate that they have mastered the state’s education standards, skills, and competencies through their schoolwork and teacher evaluations. Students would still take the MCAS and the test would be used as an assessment tool, but passage would no longer be a requirement to receive a high school diploma. This change would align Massachusetts with 42 other states that don’t require a standardized test for graduation.

It was also inspiring to see so many members at our first ever 2024 Election Virtual Town Hall this week to hear about our important electoral priorities. As the new school year begins, our Political Member Organizers are actively recruiting members to participate in member-to-member canvassing, phonebanking, labor walks, Yes on 2 activities, and more. Sign up here to join our GOTV organizing team so you can talk to voters about what’s at stake in this election! To protect our collective future, now is the time to “do something” as Michelle Obama shared. For the educators, let’s prove Tim Walz right when he said, “Never underestimate a public school teacher!”

We have virtual phone banks every Wednesday to get out the vote for Kamala Harris. Sign up here! ->

Please join me in putting a stop to Trump and Vance's attacks on educators. JD Vance is doubling down on the latest unearthed example of his disparaging comments about teachers and modern families: but as a new school year begins, we can’t ignore it when he attacks teachers and undermines children, parents, and families. The recently surfaced clip shows Vance ranting about how educators like me want to “brainwash and destroy the minds of children.” To make matters worse, he then says that teachers who do not have biological children should “leave ours the hell alone.”

Organizing Update

Even in the summer, our members are busy organizing their communities and fighting to win strong contracts. This month, I joined members of the Salem Teachers Union to rally ahead of a school committee meeting, calling on the district to support the union’s demands for paid parental leave and higher wages that meet the cost of living, particularly for the district’s low-paid paraprofessionals and student support staff. Congratulations to the members of the United Teachers of Lowell and the Salem Teachers Union on their respective tentative agreements!

I was also thrilled to see so many active members at our Summer Organizing Institute, held in partnership with Boston Teachers Union. From presentations on parent organizing and contract campaign development to workshops for building reps and new union leaders, this conference had it all, and I know that members left with a stronger understanding of how our union locals can win real victories for our members. If you missed the Summer Organizing Institute, don’t worry—you can join us for the Fall Leadership Conference on October 5, 2024 at the Nashoba Valley Technical School. Click here to register!

Advocacy Update

Earlier this month, in Fall River, we hosted the latest in our series of student debt clinics to teach members how to access debt forgiveness programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. We were honored to be joined by Senator Warren and AFT President Randi Weingarten. Speaking to a room of teachers and school support professionals, Senator Warren, President Weingarten, and I stressed the importance of student debt relief as a way to help working families not just get by but thrive. Read more about the event from the SouthCoastToday, and watch a clip here.

Questions about student debt? AFT is hosting virtual student debt clinics on September 9 and 24, 2024 ET to help our members navigate their debt. Learn more about PSLF and how you can save with Summer. Register: https://cvent.me/17XZka

The state legislature concluded their formal legislative sessions for the year, but conversations continue over several bills that are priorities for AFT Massachusetts, including the ‘R+’ bill — which would allow current educators who weren’t properly enrolled in the Teachers' Alternate Retirement Plan (TARP) to opt into the enhanced TARP retirement benefits that educators hired after July 1, 2001 receive — and the Educator Diversity Act — which would address some of the biggest barriers faced by current and future educators of color, including creating alternative pathways to professional licensure, establishing paid teacher apprenticeships, and elevating the voices of educators of color through local advisory councils. We’ll continue to advocate for these important bills to be brought up for a vote before the end of the year.

On behalf of all of the officers and staff at AFT Massachusetts, we hope you have a wonderful Labor Day and successful start to a new school year!