Broadcasts
Union Broadcasts
To bring members needed information, the CFT started broadcasting on Facebook Live during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The broadcasts cover education issues related the coronavirus outbreak, from health and safety to distance learning and reopening. Some broadcasts cover current social issues such racial justice and elections. You can also listen to the audio from our CFT Town Halls here.
Back-to-School Tour: CFT President Freitas with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond
CFT President Jeff Freitas talks with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on August 9, the first day of CFT’s Back to School Tour.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas reflects on the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial and calls for greater accountability and a recommitment to the fight for racial justice.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas talks about mental health support for educators and school workers and a new Inside California Education episode that highlights the great work many educators and school district’s are doing to address student mental health.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas disccuses the ongoing violence and racism against Asian Americans, including the killings of eight people this week, six of whom were Asian women, in Northern Georgia.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses good vaccine news and the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in the latest CFT Up Front broadcast.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses the Governor Newsom’s plan to vaccinate 75,000 school workers a week starting March 1 and more on his weekly Up Front broadcast.
Up Front with the CFT President
Joined by Two Local Union Presidents
CFT President Jeff Freitas welcomes CFT local leaders Casey Carlson, president of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers, and Nelly Vaquera-Boggs, president of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, to his latest Up Front broadcast to discuss returning to in-person instruction
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses schools reopening, vaccines, and more on his weekly Up Front broadcast.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas shares his thoughts on the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on his Up Front broadcast.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses impeachment, federal stimulus, school reopening plans, and more in his latest Up Front broadcast.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses the major news from the week — including the insurrection in Washington, D.C., the resignation of Betsy DeVos, and first impressions of Governor Newsom’s budget proposal that was released today, which included details on the governor’s in-person education plan
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses legislation introduced this week on reopening K-12 schools in March, and the coming COVID-19 vaccine on his weekly Up Front broadcast.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Andra Hoffman, Glendale College Guild
CFT President Jeff Freitas welcomes Andra Hoffman from the Glendale College Guild, AFT Local 2276. Hoffman is also an elected trustee in the Los Angeles Community College District.
Up Front with the CFT President
With California Secretary of State Alex Padilla
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla joins CFT President Jeff Freitas to discuss how California’s upcoming election will be safe and secure. Padilla explains how his office has adapted to the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, making sure that in-person voting is safe and that mail-in ballots are secure. He also shared details about California’s new “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool, a way for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Mariah Fisher, Novato Federation of Teachers
CFT President Jeff Freitas talks with Novato Federation of Teachers President Mariah Fisher, who discusses the efforts of a new county-wide coalition of educators, school workers, and parents that is advocating to reopen schools only when it is safe to do so.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Belinda Lum, Los Rios College Federation of Teachers
CFT President Jeff Freitas welcomes Belinda Lum from Los Rios College Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2279, to discuss her union’s efforts to support undocumented students and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas updates us on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on education.
Up Front with the CFT President
With AFT President Randi Weingarten
On Juneteenth, CFT President Jeff Freitas talks with AFT President Randi Weingarten on Facebook Live.
Up Front with the CFT President
With CFT Secretary Treasurer Luukia Smith
CFT President Jeff Freitas talks with CFT Secretary Treasurer Luukia Smith.
Up Front with the CFT President
With VanCedric Williams, United Educators of San Francisco
CFT President Jeff Freitas talks with VanCedric Williams, treasurer of United Educators of San Francisco and a CFT Vice President.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Katie Rodger, UC-AFT Davis
CFT President Jeff Freitas talks with Katie Rodger from UC-AFT, Davis.
Up Front with the CFT President
CFT President Jeff Freitas gives a shout out to the union’s support staff members during Classified School Employee Appreciation Week and speaks to the meaning of Memorial Day.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Nelly Vaquera-Boggs, Pajaro Valley Federation
CFT President Jeff Freitas discusses the state budget and, with the president of the Pajaro Valley Federation, how members are finding innovative ways to support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Barbara Baer, Palomar Faculty Federation
Today CFT President Jeff Freitas is joined by Barbara Baer, co-president of the Palomar Faculty Federation, to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting part-time faculty and how her local union is organizing to address the crisis.
Up Front with the CFT President
On International Workers Day, CFT President Jeff Freitas gives the latest updates on COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to educators and classified employees.
Up Front with the CFT President
With Carl Williams, CFT Council of Classified Employees
Today CFT Council of Classified Employees President Carl Williams joins CFT President Jeff Freitas in our Friday Facebook Live discussion.
UpFront with the CFT President
In this broadcast, CFT President Jeff Freitas updates us on the work of the CFT during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UpFront with CFT President Jeff Freitas
In this broadcast, CFT President Jeff Freitas Freitas provides an update on the work of AFT, additional details on the federal CARES Act, and an update about CFT’s legislative and budget work in the California Legislature. President Freitas also answered these questions from members:
- When will classified members expect to see the PPE that the state has promised?
- How can members access unemployment benefits and how have the benefits changed given passage of the new federal CARES Act?
UpFront with CFT President Jeff Freitas
In this broadcast, CFT President Freitas provides updates on the federal CARES Act, the great work being done by local unions, the comprehensive resources available here on cft.org, and answers these member questions:
- How do we continue to provide quality special education in a distance learning environment?
- How can community college faculty move labs, clinicals and other hands-on learning classes online?
- How do we address the inequality of student access to digital technology at home?
UpFront with the CFT President
In his first broadcast on Facebook Live, CFT President Freitas answers these member questions:
- What is going to happen next school year and will districts plan layoffs?
- How are faculty who teach hands-on courses expected to transition online?
- Why are maintenance and operations staff expected to continue working during school closures, even though no students are on campus?
CFT Tele-Townhall
Union leaders address COVID-19, thousands of members join call
More than 12,000 members were able to join one of the two CFT Tele-Townhall meetings held on March 18. Combined, the meetings were the largest gathering of CFT members ever.
You can listen to the CFT Tele-Townhall here! (The recording starts at the 12-second mark.)
On the calls we received encouraging words from State Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond, who offered his support and thanked CFT members. He also discussed the many efforts the governor’s office and the Department of Education are taking to support our schools.