PUERTO RICO, HOUSTON, FLORIDA, AND THE U.S.VIRGIN ISLANDS
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), our national organization, represents tens of thousands of members in all of these locations which have been battered by fierce hurricanes. Some of these places will take years to recover. Our colleagues are suffering.
The AFT has a disaster relief fund. You can contribute online by going to www.aft.org. You can also send a check by mail to:
American Federation of Teachers
Disaster Relief Fund
555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
All contributions are tax deductible.
A central tenet of unionism is that we help our colleagues in need.
KATHY KELLEY, AFT MA PRESIDENT, 1993-2006 – IN MEMORIAM
Kathy Kelley was an outstanding teacher, union leader, and a very warm and caring person.
An elementary teacher, Kathy understood that quality public education enabled our students to learn, to become mature adults, to find a vocation, and to become active participants in our democracy.
She was president of the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) in the early 1980’s when severe financial pressures led to a massive number of layoffs in 1981. Nonetheless, her stalwart leadership established the foundation for a tremendous resurgence of public education and the BTU just a few years later.
While president of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts (AFT MA), her contribution were even more dramatic. Her prodigious efforts to expand enormously funding for public education were quite important to the successful efforts in the 1990’s, (Currently AFT MA is involved in a campaign to expand that funding level.)
Kathy was a warrior in defending the rights of teachers, paraprofessionals, public librarians, and everyone else the AFT MA represents. Her advocacy for maintaining and expanding the public retirement system was crucial. Her commitment to collective bargaining was unwavering.
I applaud her leadership. I shall miss her.
VANESSA GRACE MacCORMACK
Vanessa Grace MacCormack, a Lynn teacher and a member of the Lynn Teachers Union and AFT MA, was murdered. A violent death is always a tragedy, but Vanessa’s death is even more tragic because she left behind a very young daughter. We thank those who have already made a contribution to the fund that has been set up for her. I encourage you to do the same.
You can send a contribution to:
Child of Vanessa Grace MacCormack
c/o Eastern Bank
6 Traders Way
Salem, MA 01970
Her daughter needs our support.
JANUS CASE IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
The United States Supreme Court has decided to hear the Janus Case. The plaintiffs in this case maintain that requiring non-members to pay a fair share fee (agency fee) violates the U.S. Constitution.
Forty years ago the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that since non-members receive the benefits of the union’s advocacy, a share fee was reasonable. In other words, unions could discourage people from becoming “free loaders.” Now this decision is being challenged.
Should the decision go against the unions, we shall have to redouble our efforts to fight for education, to fight for collective bargaining, to fight for the middle class, to fight for those in poverty, and to fight for all the democratic values which unions have espoused since their beginning.
We anticipate the Supreme Court will hear the case in early 2018 and will issue a decision by June 2018