A huge “Union Hall” banner framed the doors and picket signs from past campaigns lined the walls as delegates to the CFT Convention held in Oakland on April 11-13 gathered to do the work of the union, often in spirited debate.

The focus of the delegates went from national hot button issues like the Iraq War, single payer health care and school funding to meat-and-potato fare like union dues and the lag time until new state officers are installed.

Amendment 1 mandated the dues change and also detailed a range of responsibilities to be performed by local staff or union leaders on union-paid release time, also known as “formula-funded staff.” Dues got little attention but the division of labor drew a long discussion.

Jo Victoria of the Jefferson Elementary Federation of Teachers argued that many locally funded staff do not have the skills or knowledge necessary to perform some of the functions.

Richard Hathaway of ABC Federation of Teachers countered that the language in the amendment still allowed the use of the field reps and Pat Egan of Salinas Valley Federation of Teachers echoed that sentiment, adding, “Obviously some new locals will need more assistance.” The original amendment passed.

The next item, also a constitutional amendment, would establish an interim period between the election of a new officer and the date the new officer takes the post. When CFT elected new officers in spring of 2007, the succession was immediate but the amendment would call for a transition period until July 1.

Dennis Kelly, United Educators of San Francisco, supported the amendment because, by next year’s convention there would be an another election of officers without the process being resolved. He suggested that the July 1 date could be amended “if people are uncomfortable about it.”

Ed Murray, San Francisco Community College Federation of Teachers, said that elections are held in March or April and the proposed delay until July to switch officers “created opportunities to demonstrate bitterness of outgoing officers that could do damage to the organization.” Support for the present arrangement, immediate succession, also came from Carl Friedlander of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild.

Others, including Velma Butler, AFT College Staff Guild, supported a transition period and said the union needed to have time to prepare the new officers. The proposal was amended to a 60-day lag instead of July 1 and delegates passed it.

Some important policy resolutions were approved without opposition. Among them were issues of school and college funding (don’t cut it), early childhood education (grow it), single payer health coverage (we need it) and the occupation of Iraq (end it).

A national issue that did draw debate was the proposal condemning raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which the resolution called racist and union-busting and declared “that no human being is illegal and looks forward to the day when the people of the world are not divided by borders.”

Janice Runge of the ABC Federation of Teachers, objected to that line and said it raised security issues “when we have terrorism outside our border.”

Several speakers defended the line including Tania Kappner of Oakland-AFT who said it was important that California take the lead on immigration issues. “ICE questioned a mother in front of the children in a school in Oakland,” she explained, “and, of course, attendance dropped the next day.”

Robert Chacanaca of the Santa Cruz Council of Classified Employees and president of the CFT Council of Classified Employees, said that, as a Native American, he always had some confusion about the immigration issue. The delegates broke into laughter and Chacanaca added, “This amendment is why we have reservations, why we jailed Japanese Americans.” The objection failed and the resolution passed.

—Conventiion reporting by Malcolm Terence, CFT Reporter, and Jane Hundertmark, Editor. Writing by Malcolm Terence

Other resolutions passed by delegates:

Oppose suspension of Proposition 98 and adequately fund California education

Support career technical education in K-12 and community colleges

Seek better funding for K-12 Peer Assistance and Review program

Establish a CFT English Language Learner Committee

Promote classified and faculty unity

Support H.R. 676 for single payer health care