Action Center

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Count every vote! Post-election organizing to defend democracy
Actions & trainings

Last Friday, the CFT Executive Council unanimously passed a resolution outlining our union’s principles to defend American democracy. The resolution follows a similar resolution passed last week by AFT and highlights four key areas that the CFT believes must be protected: 

  • Every American citizen registered to vote must be able to vote. 
  • Every vote must be counted. 
  • The electoral verdict must be respected.
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Tell Governor Newsom: We can no longer afford the failed Calbright College experiment

With California facing an unprecedented budget crisis, we can no longer afford the failed experiment of Calbright College.

Now is the time to take the critical resources being wasted on the misguided and mismanaged Calbright College and invest in our traditional community colleges and the students and workers we serve.

Urge Governor Newsom to end the failed Calbright College experiment

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Tell Mitch McConnell: Forcing our cities and states into bankruptcy is shameful and indefensible

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to cripple our state and local governments, including school districts and community colleges. Across the nation, as many as 275,000 teachers and school workers could potentially lose their jobs. And in California, K-12 funding could be cut by as much as 15%.

Tell Mitch McConnell: Forcing our cities and states into bankruptcy is shameful and indefensible

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Sign the AFT letter: Include investments in state and local governments in COVID-19 recovery

Even with everything our members, frontline workers, and communities have done during this crisis, our students will have even greater needs when our schools ultimately reopen. Public services have been stretched to the max, after years of underfunding. For the foreseeable future, our communities will be coping with the loss of family and friends, record levels of unemployment, and an economic crisis on par with the Great Depression.

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Tell Congress: During this pandemic, support our public postal service

As most Americans shelter in place, postal workers are delivering people’s prescriptions, keeping small-enterprises in business and connecting families. The USPS has always been our emergency distribution system when our country is in crisis.

But, at this unprecedented time, that work is under threat. The Coronavirus shutdown is plummeting postal revenues while increasing costs. The Postal Service could run out of money as early as June.

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AB 500 – Paid maternity leave for teachers and school workers

Thanks to the nearly 2,000 CFT members and allies who wrote letters to the governor, urging him to sign AB 500.

We are sorry to report that Governor Newsom has vetoed AB 500. Despite overwhelming bipartisan votes in both the Assembly and Senate, the fierce opposition to the bill from K-12 and community college districts was too much to overcome.

We will continue to fight for educators and school workers who wish to start families.

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Support a living wage for community college part-time faculty
Support an 85 percent teaching load

Write Assemblymember Jose Medina today!

Medina introduced CFT-sponsored Assembly Bill 897 which would change the percentage of hours a part-time faculty member may teach up to 85 percent of the hours per week of a full-time employee having comparable duties.

Download the letter and add your own voice!

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Wear #RedforEd: Support Oakland educators on February 15

Before the end of the month, teachers and educators in the Oakland Education Association may go on strike for reasons nearly identical to the historic UTLA strike last month. OEA members are fighting for a living wage, smaller class sizes, and more student support. They are fighting for respect.

Here are four things you can do to show your support for Oakland teachers, as they take a stand for their students and their profession:

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Part-time faculty – send a letter to incoming Governor Gavin Newsom

One of the critical factors to increasing student success in the California Community Colleges is ensuring faculty-student interaction. But nearly 70 percent of community college faculty are temporary, part-time instructors, who are largely paid only for their time in the classroom.

Increasing student-teacher interaction can be done, in part, by hiring more full-time instructors. Another way is to increase paid office hour funding for part-time faculty.

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Tell Congress: Don’t let students go hungry

Write Congress today to save SNAP!

Congress is now debating a bill that would restrict SNAP benefits or even cut off assistance to working families. Currently, there is a three-month time limit that cuts off food assistance to any adult in need who doesn’t have children and can’t find a reliable 20-hour-a-week job. The bill will expand this time limit to all adults ages 18-59 who are not disabled, pregnant or caring for a child under the age of 6, and it will require at least 20 hours of work or in a training program.

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Helping those impacted by the California fires

With fires raging throughout California once again, CFT is actively in contact with members in the impacted areas, working to ensure that they remain safe. So far we know that one CFT member has lost their home and that hundreds more have been evacuated.

If any CFT members you know have been impacted by the fire, please have them contact our Berkeley office ASAP at 510-523-5238, to help arrange for assistance.