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Local PLUCC leaders participate in a
two-day training as part of the
Strategic Campaign Initiative.
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The Strategic Campaign Initiative moved ahead last month with the Political Leaders United to Create Change program training. Local unions in the PLUCC program (See listing below) received matching grants to hire political organizers. These organizers met for two days at the CFT Bay Area office to discuss how to build a comprehensive organizing and political program.
CFT President Josh Pechthalt kicked off the meeting by thanking members for their dedication and commitment while emphasizing that the overall goal of the campaign is to align the union’s work and develop a group of trained and active members, leaders, and staff to aide the CFT in becoming more efficient and better focused on building power.
Sylvia A. Allegretto, from the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics at UC Berkeley, gave a detailed overview of the economy, discussing employment and the jobs deficit, wage deterioration and the growth of income inequality, and the housing crisis.
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POLITICAL LEADERS UNITED
to
CREATE CHANGE
Berkeley Federation, Local 1078
Cabrillo College Federation, Local 4400
Sadie Reynolds
Coast Federation of Educators, Local 1911
Robert Schneiderman
Galt Federation of Teachers, Local 2219
Alex Bauer
Greater Santa Cruz Federation, Local 2030
Casey Carlson
Newport-Mesa Federation, Local 1794
Joel Flores
Pajaro Valley Federation, Local 1936
Jenn Laskin
Peralta Federation, Local 1603
Janelle Hampton
Oxnard Federation of Teachers and
School Employees, Local 1273
San Francisco Community College
Federation of Teachers, Local 2121
Galina Gerasimova
United Educators of San Francisco, Local 61
Ken Tray
Ventura County Federation, Local 1828
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Statewide Affiliate Political Organizer Jim Araby led segments on designing a political strategy, increasing local COPE participation, and building coalitions that support work of the local union as well as the CFT.
Sandra Weese, Director of Organizing, led a session focused on the importance of organizing for building local capacity and power. Based on the interest of the locals present, much of that session focused on organizing fundamentals, how to organize internally around issues, and how to approach fee payers about membership.
One PLUCC political director in attendance said it was “incredibly helpful for our local to have resources to engage our members in political issues.” The political directors continue to share information and coordinate their efforts through regular conference calls. They are working to cultivate political, community, and labor relationships to assist in building the strength of our locals so that they will be able to bargain better contracts, achieve legislative goals, and elect people to key offices that support CFT priorities.
With the PLUCC program underway and a draft of the CFT local union capacity survey completed, the SCI now turns to completing a comprehensive organizing plan for CFT, building a CFT Member Organizing Committee, and identifying locals that are interested in organizing new members in strategic sectors.
Working together, the organizing and political field departments have engaged several local leaders and their executive boards and field representatives about providing assistance in developing their strategic plans and other activities. A few examples include Lacy Barnes and the e-board of the State Center Federation of Teachers, Sam Russo and the e-board of Adjunct Faculty United, and Matt Goldstein and the e-board of the Peralta Federation of Teachers.
The Peralta Federation is developing a comprehensive plan that includes a membership drive, COPE drive, outreach to new organizing targets, strategy to elect board trustees, building community coalitions, and a joint campaign with campus unions to force renegotiation of the district’s “swap interest rate,” which could save the district as much as $1.6 million.
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