Take Action
Elections 2020
Everything you need to know about Elections 2020 — from the U.S. Presidential Election to the California revenue measure Schools & Communities First.
Action Center
Take action on the issues that matter most
Join us online and on social media! These are the campaigns and current events where your voice as an educator or classified employee can make a difference.
Join the Union
You deserve to have a union on your side!
Being a union member is the single most effective path to advocating for your profession and those you educate. Every educator deserves union representation, whether you are full-time, part-time, classified or certificated, higher education or preschool, working in public education or at a private school or university.
Becoming a CFT member means that you join 120,000 educators in California who together are advocating for quality education at their workplaces, in their communities, and in the halls of the Legislature. Be a part of this important work!
- Please contact us to to learn more about joining our union.
Campaigns
From quality education to healthcare and civil rights
Learn about CFT’s priority campaigns, from our continued push for high-quality education to climate justice and civil rights.
Committees
Member-driven committees examine educational issues
Serving on a union committee is a great way to share your expertise and further your profession. The standing committees of the CFT work on areas of interest to educators, ranging from special education to labor education. The committees meet several times a year, usually on Saturdays, and the CFT covers the cost of travel expenses.
How You Can Become a Successful Lobbyist
Find all you need – tips, terminology, and timing
The California Legislature may seem daunting, but armed with a simple understanding of the legislative process, you can become an effective lobbyist almost overnight. The resources on this page provide the basic information you need to succeed in personal visits and letter writing.
Political Action
Build power in your workplace and your community
COPE stands for “Committee on Political Education” and represents the political action arm of the CFT. The purpose of COPE is to engage in political education, to facilitate member-to-member communications about political issues and elections, and to endorse political candidates and make contributions to candidate campaigns. Many local unions also have their own COPE committees.
Organizing
Build a stronger union and workplace community
Topnotch CFT organizers provide strategic support to local unions, which is essential to achieving success in our bargaining and issue campaigns. As part of the California Organizing Project, staff organizers help locals achieve their organizational goals by employing numerous techniques to reach union members — from traditional one-on-one outreach to digital tools such as texting.