#UnionProud

Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to the members of AFT Connecticut.

It has been my privilege to serve as your Executive Vice President for the past two years and an honor to be re-elected for another term yesterday. It is an honor to serve under the leadership Jan, and alongside, Jean, Ed, and the VPs and Local presidents that represent you.

We are 30,000 strong; teachers, paraprofessionals and other school related personnel, nurses and other healthcare professionals, and public service workers.
We are a diverse group belonging to over 90 autonomous Locals, but we are united in our work of service to others, our solidarity as sisters and brothers, and our commitment to a society that places students, patients, and the community we serve ahead of corporate greed.

We face enormous challenges in the next two years, but we also have tremendous opportunities.
As our president Jan says, our challenge is not from the right to work for less movement, but from the danger that our members may not understand the benefit of standing in union with their sisters and brothers.
This is our opportunity.
If we engage our members, if we have the thousands of one on one conversations needed to reach our members, then we will survive any challenge from the top 1% who covet power and greed at the expense of others.
We will be strong because we are always strong when we stand together.

So, we have much work to do.
We will do it together.