News from AFT Massachusetts and President Jessica Tang

uly has been a month full of advocacy – from our  local school committees to the worker solidarity actions in LA , and from the Massachusetts State House to the halls of Congress in DC.

Leading into July, AFT MA was a strong presence at the 18th annual biennial convention of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance in Los Angeles. I co-led two workshops and introduced two special guests: former Secretaries of Labor Marty Walsh and Julie Su. It is also with great pride that we announce that our very own Mikayla Vu was elected President! Learn more about APALA and join here.

Throughout this busy month, AFT Massachusetts leaders, members, and allies showed up at the Massachusetts State House to testify on behalf of important legislative priorities this session including: our Retirement Plus bill, the Attorney General’s STUDY Act, legislation to extend PFML to educators and municipal employees, the Protect LABOR Act, legislation to restore collective bargaining rights to teachers in Level 4 and 5 schools/districts, expanding access to tuition free education opportunities to educators and paraprofessionals, the Freedom to Read bill, and more.

Here at the AFT Massachusetts, we’ve officially transitioned from school year mode to summer mode.

While many have a different definition of summer mode—and we certainly do believe summer is an important time, particularly for educators in our union, to rest and refuel—at the AFT Massachusetts “summer mode” is also “activist mode!

Activism can also help us to get re-energized, especially when we have more time and schedule flexibility to focus on our work advocating for our students, schools, and members while increasing engagement, collaboration, and solidarity across the labor movement.

Summer mode at AFT MA kicked-off with a Summer Town Hall to brief members on local bargaining wins, discuss key priorities at the state and federal level (legislative and electoral), and outline upcoming actions and resources for engagement this summer.

June closed out with our First Statewide Lobby Day on Beacon Hill – bringing together over 150 members, representing over 15 locals for an important day connecting with elected leaders and advocating for key priorities. You can read more ab

Our work on the state level to advocate for important education initiatives – like expanding our network of community schools and pathways to career and technical education - brought out some national support a few weeks ago. We were honored to host President Randi Weingarten and discuss some of the success we’ve seen with community schools in Lowell and with CTE pathways in Lawrence. Our day began with a visit to the Frederic T. Greenhalge Elementary School in Lowell, one of the city’s ten community schools. On hand to welcome President Weingarten were AFT VP Mickie Dumont and a number of distinguished guests including several state delegation members, Lowell School Committee members, the superintendent, parents from the school and, of course, the incredible staff.  As you know, we’ve been strong advocates for increasing investment in community schools across the state as well as taking steps to invest in new community schools in all regions of the Commonwealth.

This week is quite busy at the AFT Massachusetts – bringing an eventful month to a close. It’s been a month full of advocacy, organizing, and resistance. There was the April 5th Hands Off Rally, which brought together over 100,000 people to the Boston rally alone. We rallied days later in support of Higher Education on April 8. As we move into May, we are gearing up for May Day (more information later in this edition of the Communicator) and our Annual Convention. There will be over 1,000 actions across the country this May Day as part of a national May Day Strong movement, with over a half dozen just in Massachusetts! 

Today marks the 100th day of the second Trump administration, there is nothing normal about this moment. Trump has spent his first 100 days dismantling public education, attacking universities, firing federal workers, ending vital labor and health programs, and making it harder for retirees to access Social Security. Our need to resist and stand up for the rights of not only our students and educators – but, really, all residents of our Commonwealth and nation – continues. Along with the disturbing mass deportations we are seeing (including of American citizens, student visas, green cards and work authorizations) and repeated attacks on workers and organized labor, the White House is continuing its campaign against public education. This month, we responded to a truly shameful memo from the Department of Education that threatened to withhold Title I funding–funding for low income students–unless schools allowed the federal government to dictate curriculum.  

As we head into April, we look forward to seeing more signs of spring and a well deserved break for our preK through 12 educators. We also continue to closely monitor the impacts of decisions coming from the federal government, including both the order to dismantle the Department of Education as well as the recent Executive Order that is unilaterally ending collective bargaining agreements and rights for thousands of federal workers. We continue to be very concerned about the impacts these decisions continue to have on every day working people, including AFT MA members and their families.

Unions across the country are feeling the anxiety caused by the chaos and uncertainty of the times, and that includes here in Massachusetts. Services, jobs, and the fate of collective bargaining and union rights are all at risk.

As a union that has always stood up for our members, students and communities, we cannot remain quiet. That’s why early last week—along with a pair of school districts and other unions—we filed a lawsuit in Federal Court to stop the Administration from dismantling the US Department of Education and the critical services it provides to students, teachers, parents, and communities across the country. 

Tuesday, March 4 is Protect Our Kids Day of Action: the AFT’s nationwide day of action focused on mobilizing across the country in opposition to the Trump Administration’s harmful plan to dismantle the Department of Education. AFT locals, including those in Massachusetts, will be holding walk-ins, flyering at pickup,and more to make sure our communities understand just how disastrous the proposed cuts to the Department of Education would be for our students and communities. In case you missed it, I joined President Weingarten’s webinar last week to discuss the Protect Our Kids campaign, our upcoming day of action and why we need to take action across the nation to march forth on March 4.

We urge you all to take time on March 4 to participate in your local actionsl. Whether wearing red for ed, flyering at drop off or pickup, or doing a walk-in, organizing an action for March 4th can be an easy and effective way of showing solidarity, sharing out information about what’s at stake and strengthening your local organizing muscles.

The first two weeks of the new Administration have been full of division, chaos, and fear. Dozens of Executive Orders have undone important policies that impact everything from capping the price of prescriptions to halting projects for union jobs. They’ve removed schools, hospitals, and places of worship from the list of “sensitive sites.” Visible increases of ICE agents in these areas means that these places are no longer the safe havens they should be. As educators, librarians, healthcare workers and public service workers, you’re seeing how the fear is unsettling many of our communities firsthand.

The threats of federal funding freezes are throwing so many vital programs – including Head Start, cancer research, construction jobs, public school funding, Medicare and Medicaid, student loans – into a chaotic tailspin, impacting workers, students, and families across the Commonwealth.  

We can make a difference in the lives of our students and families.Just by showing up and doing what you always do - providing a safe, welcoming environment for ALL students.

Kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe. They can’t learn in underfunded schools. Students in need can’t learn without the services and support they’re guaranteed under their right to a free and appropriate public education.

While we’re in the midst of the holiday season for many, I am pleased to announce some joyous news.

The United States Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), which repeals two unfair provisions of the Social Security law that unfairly penalizes Massachusetts public sector retirees, including school teachers – the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

No one who pays into the Social Security system should see the benefits they’ve earned cut or eliminated – especially those who dedicated their careers to public service. Both of these provisions disproportionately impact low-income retirees - including tens of thousands in Massachusetts alone. It's set up so public school teachers and paraprofessionals end up being penalized for working a second or third job in the private sector, which many have to do to get by.

This month has seen some tremendous highs and incredible lows.

Question 2 in Massachusetts won in a landslide – with 59 percent voting yes to end the use of the MCAS as a graduation requirement!

We know true learning is much more than what can be measured by a one-size-fits-all standardized test and the voters of Massachusetts sent a clear message that they trust our educators to know what is best for all students in terms of getting the knowledge and skills they need to be prepared to be successful after graduation.

We applaud the AFT Massachusetts members across the state who knocked on doors, made calls, and organized within their schools and communities to make this victory possible.

Massachusetts voters also made sure to send one of the strongest voices for educators and working families back to Washington, D.C. – Senator Elizabeth Warren. It is hard to think of a stronger advocate for educators, public schools, and the lives of students across the Commonwealth than Senator Warren. We will need her in our capital fighting for us now more than ever.

I know I don’t need to remind you - but we are only a few days out from one of the most critical election day our nation has ever faced.

This isn’t about party affiliation anymore. This is about more than protecting rights for workers and unions. This is about more than protecting reproductive freedom. This is about more than fighting to preserve basic human rights or the fight for a better economic plan that actually helps working people, not just billionaires. Of course all of these policy positions matter, but 4 days before Election Day, it’s clear this is about the fate of our nation.

The hate-filled rally Trump and Vance held at Madison Square Garden earlier this week was just one more reminder of what we can expect if Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office. A vitriolic and divided America where the civil liberties and rights of the many are erased while the power and wealth of the few are multiplied. Unprecedented numbers of Republican military leaders, staff and elected leaders are speaking up to warn us all.  

We know how this will play out because as Maya Angelu said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”