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Safe Havens
Ensuring safe workplaces for students and workers

A movement is underway in California and across the nation to protect our most vulnerable students and their families anti-immigrant actions. The CFT has created a Safe Havens Toolkit for educators, students and families with links and downloads from numerous advocacy organizations.

Students, educators and school staff also deserve to work in places free from the fear o of mass shootings. CFT takes a strong stand for common sense gun control to end the gun violence in our schools.

Article Classified Summer Assistance Program

State program matches funds classified employees set aside
What you need to know about Classified School Employee Summer Assistance

Bernard Benson is enrolled in the new Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program. His deductions began in August and will continue through June. The state will match his savings up to a dollar for dollar in July.

“It would be ludicrous for me not to participate,” explained Benson. “Where else can I set aside $200 a month for 11 months and make a 100 percent return on my investment?”

Article part-time faculty labor solidarity

Part-timer takes the helm at State Center Federation of Teachers

One of the great powers of a union is its ability to uplift the living conditions and status of its members, not just at the bargaining table, but within the structure of the union itself — when the seemingly most marginalized members assume leadership roles.

In local unions representing all faculty, there has been a recent trend of the membership electing a part-time faculty member to lead the union, with significant support from the full-timers. There is perhaps no better example of this, though he might be reluctant himself to say so, than Keith Ford.

Governor signs loan forgiveness bill, vetoes paid maternity leave
From the Capitol – On the cusp of good things for part-timers

Budgetarily, it’s been a tough year for winning greater gains for part-timers in Sacramento, but with regard to legislation which CFT succeeded in getting to the governor’s desk, and for legislation already in the wings for next year, part-timers are on the edge of good things.

Article part-time faculty

What I learned in my research of the “Involuntary Adjunct”

By Bobbi-Lee Smart, Cerritos Faculty Federation

My dissertation research focused on the perceptions of the impact of adjuncts on community college campuses in Southern California. I specifically wanted to understand the reality of involuntary adjuncts — those whose who want full-time tenure track jobs, couldn’t get a position, so worked as “full-time” adjuncts (those whose adjunct work is the majority or entirety of their income).

Article

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.

Article Prop 15 split roll Elections 2020

Improved corporate tax reform initiative refiled with state
CFT working with coalition to put funding measure on the 2020 ballot

This week, the Schools & Communities First campaign refiled the the split roll ballot initiative with significant improvements. The refiling is a result of organizing during 2018 that allowed the campaign to hear feedback from stakeholders across the state on the ballot measure, and to consult with California’s leading policy and legal experts. CFT is a key member of the campaign coalition. 

Article CFT 100

California Senate honors CFT’s 100th Anniversary

On May 16, the California Senate presented CFT leaders a resolution in honor of the Federation’s 100th Anniversary. The text of the resolution follows.

Whereas, The CFT was founded in 1919 to provide a labor union alternative for classroom teachers and celebrates its 100th year anniversary on May 31, 2019;and

Whereas, the CFT is a union of professionals affiliated with the more than 1.7 million member American Federation of Teachers, and through it with the AFL-CIO; and

California Teacher CFT 100

The birth of a statewide Federation
A piece of our history is revealed for the first time

By Dennis Kelly, United Educators of San Francisco

On May 16, 1918, J.P. Utter wrote to the president of the AFT to remind him that a year earlier Utter had asked about chartering a local. In that year, the Vallejo teachers had organized 57 of 58 teachers and principals, had elected two officers, created a salary committee that delivered a raise, demanded and won 12 monthly paychecks, and had created a temporary organization. Utter enclosed $10 for the charter fee.