Marion Teachers Association

       80th AFT Convention Chicago

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The city where it all began:

Ninety-two years ago on April 15, seven teacher groups—three from Chicago and one each from Gary, Ind., New York City, Scranton, Pa., and Washington, D.C.—came together to form a national union. Shortly thereafter, Samuel Gompers signed their charter from the American Federation of Labor.

 

The Illinois Federation of Teachers and Local 1, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), hosted more than 3,000 delegates and guests for the 80th AFT convention of the 1.4 million member union. As with those six unions back in 1916, this coming-together heralds new collaborations, fresh agendas and reform opportunities as we face historic and challenging times.

Delegates voted on a resolution to endorse Sen. Barack
Obama (D-Ill.) for president, giving him the union’s full support in the general election. Obama  addressed the convention on Sunday. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)  addressed delegates on Saturday morning, July 12. On the world scene, a special order of business took place on the sham election in Zimbabwe as well as the violence and abuse of democracy there. Delegates debated and vote on policy resolutions covering a wide range of topics, which included expanding peer assistance and review programs, addressing the healthcare
worker and nursing faculty shortages, supporting programs to bring equity to part-time/adjunct faculty, promoting the understanding of how government is part of the common good, and improving the
buildings in which our members work (the AFT’S “Building Minds, Minding Buildings” campaign).

 

 

 

 

 

Weingarten elected AFT president Cortese will be secretary-treasurer, Johnson executive vice president.

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