National Convention

I returned from the AFT Convention tired but pleased and spent this past week trying to catch up with my work in the office.
The convention went very well.
Jan was re-elected National VP, a testimony to her commitment to member engagement and the growing recognition throughout the AFT that this is our future. In reality, it is also our past, as member engagement is not only what built the movement, it IS the movement.
Our 110 AFT CT members were engaged at the convention, participating in committees, caucus, and general sessions. Thank you to all of them for representing the members of both their own Locals and the State Federation.
Social gatherings are also a part of the convention, and our members enjoyed the Convention reception, our own reception, and the sights of the city of Pittsburgh in what little free time we had.

Much of the focus in the convention was centered around the Janus decision.
Anti union groups think this decision will cripple unions, and thus silence the voice of workers. Then, they believe, they can finish their quest toward compete the control of this country by the elites.
What they don’t understand is that our strength comes not from our pocketbooks, our strength comes from our solidarity.
The theme of the convention was, “We Care, We show up, We fight, We vote!”
That theme has been demonstrated in the remarkable success of the large number of members recommitting to their unions, in the courageous teacher and healthcare strikes taking place across this country, in the humanitarian work being performed by our members and in recent successes in new organizing drives.
It was a busy, tiring week.
But this is busy, tiring work.
Besides their own “day jobs,” our members knock doors, rally, testify, volunteer, and work to advance the voice of all workers, union and nonunion, all the time.
They do it because they believe in the movement.
That, sisters and brothers, is our strength.