Organizing for the Future, Educating to Succeed PAGE 13
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THE VOICE OF THE UNION April b May 2012 California Volume 65, Number 4 CALIFORNIA TeacherFEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFT, AFL-CIO Organizing for the future, educating to succeed PAGE 13 Members oppose Vote for the best: Two-tier fees violate ethnic studies ban CFT picks for June 5 Master Plan Curtailed curricula includes classics Yes on Propositions 28 and 29 Labor opposes Santa Monica proposal PAGE 12 PAGE 4 PAGE 14 California In this issue All-Union News 3 Community College 14 Teacher Pre-K/K-12 12 University 15 Classified 13 Local Wire 16 UpFront Josh Pechthalt, CFT President Merged measure calls for the largest single tax increase on the rich in California history e all know the challenge to by the Executive Council last summer nurse in every school. Wmaintain salaries and benefits to maximize CFT resources as well as During this economic crisis, and keep our members working has coordinate our political and organiz- we must be vigilant, watching for never been more difficult. But in spite ing work. attempts by legislators to erode of difficulties, our members and local Through extensive outreach to our seniority protections, weaken our leaders continue to organize and win locals, CFT has identified organiz- pension plans, and promote merit “victories. ing priorities that will help shape the pay schemes. Masquerading as mar- In the face of a disas- direction the union takes ket reforms, these measures would trous state budget and s State of s in coming years. While the subvert the ability of working people those who would turn the Union labor movement continues to improve their lives. public education into to see its ranks decline, CFT, Our members have been active in GETTY IMAGES GETTY a non-union, low-wage institu- with major support from the AFT, the Occupy Movement, which has tion, your activism and com- is looking to aggressively organize given voice to the demand for change mitment to CFT goals have new members. brought about by the growing eco- made us a leading union in the On the legislative front, CFT cel- nomic disparity in this country. fight for progressive educa- ebrated many successes including pas- CFT has joined with statewide labor tion reform, and economic and sage of the Bilingual Seal of Literacy and community coalitions, such as social justice. and the California Dream Act. We Refund California, to develop a The past year has seen stopped the Legislature from creat- common strategy around a broad major accomplishments and ing a two-tier education system in the progressive agenda. occasional setbacks. One large step community colleges, but that hasn’t forward has been the Strategic Cam- stopped Santa Monica College from A year ago, I ran for president as paign Initiative. The SCI was adopted attempting to do the same. part of a team with Jeff Freitas. You We also had our share of disap- made a wise decision last year to elect pointments. In addition to the debili- Jeff secretary-treasurer. He is smart, EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an adapted tating state budget, we were unable dedicated, and tireless in his com- version of the State of the Union to stop legislation that asks school mitment to CFT. You also elected a address delivered by CFT President JANE HUNDERTMARK employees to administer Diastat. The knowledgeable Executive Council, Josh Pechthalt on April 14 at the Legislature opted to add another bur- and CFT employs one of the best 70th Convention of the California den on the shoulders of untrained staffs in the labor movement. Federation of Teachers. educators rather than place a qualified We talked about energizing our (Continued on page 7) ON THE COVER The California Federation of Teachers is an affiliate CaliforniaTeacher (ISSN 0410-3556) is published Direct letters or other editorial submissions to the editor. < of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. The four times a year in September/October, November/ Letters must not exceed 200 words and must include Kristia Groves helped research the Education CFT represents faculty and classified workers in public December, February/March and April/May by the your name, address, and phone number. Letters will be Code, comparing job duties and responsibilities and private schools and colleges, from early childhood California Federation of Teachers, 2550 N. Hollywood edited for clarity and length. of 90 employees working in an enrichment Way, Suite 400, Burbank, CA 91505, and mailed to all through higher education. The CFT is committed to EDITORIAL OFFICE program to those of union-represented staff raising the standards of the profession and to securing CFT members and agency fee payers. Annual subscription California Federation of Teachers, 1330 Broadway, in Lawndale. Her work helped the Lawndale the conditions essential to provide the best service to price: $3 (included in membership dues). For others: Federation of Classified Employees organize Suite 1601, Oakland, California 94612 California’s students. $10 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Burbank and Telephone 510-523-5238 Fax 510-523-5262 the workers into their local union. See story PRESIDENT Joshua Pechthalt additional mailing offices. Email [email protected] page 13. SECRETARY TREASURER Jeff Freitas Postmaster: Send address corrections to California Publications Director and Editor Jane Hundertmark Teacher, 2550 N. Hollywood Way, Suite 400, Burbank, PHOTO BY BOB RIHA, JR SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT Lenora Lacy Barnes Contributors this issue: David Bacon, Kenneth Burt, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Velma Butler, Cathy Campbell, CA 91505. Velma Butler, Kelsey Duckett, Patrick Evans, Alayna Fred- Robert Chacanaca, Kimberly Claytor, Melinda Dart, California Teacher is a member of the International ricks, Carl Friedlander, Fred Glass, Elaine Johnson, Laura Warren Fletcher, Betty Forrester, Carl Friedlander, Ray Labor Communications Association and the AFT Com- Kurre, Joshua Pechthalt, Mindy Pines, Gary Ravani, Bob Gaer, Miki Goral, Carolyn Ishida, Dennis Kelly, Jim Mahler, municators Network. It is printed by union workers at Samuels, Malcolm Terence, Sandra Weese Elaine Merriweather, Alisa Messer, David Mielke, Pacific Standard Press in Sacramento using soy-based Graphic Design Kajun Design, Graphic Artists Guild Dean Murakami, Gary Ravani, Francisco Rodriguez, inks on Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper that Sam Russo, Bob Samuels, Linda Sneed, Joanne Waddell, contains 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Carl Williams, Kent Wong, David Yancey ® 977-M cft.org CFT IBT 853 Cert no. SW-COC-001530 2 CALIFORNIA TEACHER APRIL/MAY 2012 around the union… All-Union News Members take decisive action to pass initiative Political organizers Merged measure calls for the largest single tax call for defeat of increase on the rich in California history Coalition partners praise Millionaires Tax efforts at Convention corporate power grab On the web The November California ballot Coalition partners from ACCE, will have a measure called “Paycheck >Download a toolkit to help pass the California Calls, and the Courage Protection,” a thinly-veiled attack on the Campaign joined the Convention SHARON BEALS Schools and Local Public Safety Protec- political voice of unions. It would outlaw a discussion. tion Act of 2012 at cft.org. Learn how member’s voluntary paycheck deduction to to fight the Corporate Deception Act at a union’s political action fund. calaborfed.org and abetterca.org. Joel Flores, Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers, called it “The Corporate The third panelist was Rick Jacobs, Deception Act” and noted that corpora- leader of the Courage Campaign. He tions already outspend unions 15:1 in described the traditional political politics. He said the measure is Step Two in involvement of unions as an “export a three-step anti-labor campaign led by the of dollars every four years where we wealthiest one percent. forget to focus on progressive issues Step One was to give corporations free for California.” speech via Citizens United, a 2010 Supreme Jacobs said the ordinary power Court decision allowing corporations to CFT AND ITS COMMUNITY part- and whether we changed the elec- arrangement allows big money con- make unlimited political contributions as a ners were well on the way to qualify- torate so it looks more like the state tributors to dictate who has clout in First Amendment right. ing their Millionaires Tax proposal itself.” a coalition. Instead CFT said, even With union opposition crippled, Step for the November ballot when the Thigpenn took part in a panel dis- though money was important, each Three will be seeking more deceptively governor negotiated merg- cussion that looked at the reve- organization is bringing something named “right-to-work” laws. Those laws, ing it with his own. Even nue campaign for the November to the table. All three panelists agreed already in 23 states, prohibit collective bar- though the unified proposal election and the longer-term that it was a breakthrough template gaining agreements that require all mem- is far more progressive than 2012 challenge to Proposition 13, for labor-community partnerships. bers to join a union or otherwise pay dues, the governor’s original, General corporate tax loopholes, and a All three also praised the working allowing employees to get free rides. Election many activists expressed a power structure opposed to sys- relationship with CFT and predicted Janelle Hampton, from the Peralta sense of loss. temic change. that the larger unions — CTA, SEIU Federation of Teachers, suggested tactics One community organizer, describ- Another community partner on the and others — were likely to take more to oppose the Corporate Deception Act ing his group’s reaction, said, “We panel was Christina Livingston from progressive postures in the future. including the went through the seven stages of grief Alliance of Californians for Commu- In his State of the Union address, use of local when we heard the news.” Anthony nity Empowerment who said, “Our following the panel, CFT President newsletters, Thigpenn, founder and president of members embraced the Millionaires Josh Pechthalt told delegates, “Labor email lists, BEALS SHARON Tax, so it was hard to let it go.