AFT State of the Union 2014 - American Federation of Teachers

Randi Weingarten
president
Lorretta Johnson
secretary-treasurer
Francine Lawrence
executive vice president
OUR MISSION
The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness;
democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public
services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing
these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and
political activism, and especially through the work our members do.
Copyright © American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO (AFT 2014). Permission is hereby granted to AFT state and
local affiliates to reproduce and distribute copies of the work for nonprofit education purposes, provided that copies
are distributed at or below cost, and that the author, source, and copyright notice are included on each copy. Any
distribution of such materials to third parties who are outside of the AFT or its affiliates is prohibited without first
receiving the express written permission of the AFT.
Reclaiming the Promise
E
very day, the right-wing
corporate and anti-union
interests that want to
eviscerate the power of American
workers use all means available to
strip us and our members of
rights. As we went to press, a
California court decision tossing
out teacher tenure, Vergara v.
California, had just been issued.
And the U.S. Supreme Court, in its
Harris v. Quinn ruling, while
upholding public sector unions’
right to collectively bargain, had
limited our capacity to represent
some workers. We will fight back.
We will fight—as we always
have, even before these latest
challenges—against politicians
who scapegoat public employees
and their unions instead of working together; against attacks on
collective bargaining and other
basic workers’ rights; and against
plans to privatize and defund
public institutions, to name a few.
These issues play out differently in
a public school or a state agency,
a community college or a private
hospital, but the overall antiworker, anti-public investment
themes cross all AFT segments.
Throughout our history, the
AFT has remained a vital and
growing organization by aggressively meeting challenges, working
for what’s right and serving our
members’ varied needs. But
constantly fighting back takes a
toll on morale and motivation, and
detracts from our affiliates’ efforts
to improve the lives and working
conditions of our diverse membership and those they serve. That’s
why it’s time to fight forward—not
just for isolated victories, but for a
thoughtful and powerful agenda
to move the country and our
public institutions in a new direction. That’s what Reclaiming the
Promise—the theme of this year’s
convention—is all about.
In her 2012 convention keynote address, AFT President Randi
Weingarten laid out a vision of
“solution-driven unionism,” an
approach that “unites those we
represent and those we serve,
and in so doing, it ensures that
we don’t merely survive, but we
succeed.” Reclaiming the Promise
expands that vision and incorporates all the great work that the
union and our affiliates have been
doing. It adds a renewed focus on
how that work brings together the
union and a broad cross section of
the community, and refines what
that means in six key areas: public
education, early childhood care
and education, higher education,
healthcare, public services and
retirement security.
Building on success
The past two years have seen some
historic fights about the future
direction of the country. The AFT
has been in the middle of many
of them, and we’ve seen some
important steps forward as a result.
Following the 2012 convention, the
AFT and our activists around the
country quickly turned toward
working for the re-election
of President Obama and
increasing the number of
worker-friendly candidates in office at all levels.
November brought not
only Obama’s sweeping
victory, but a mandate
from voters for a vision of government that plays a vital role in
investing in public schools and
institutions, guaranteeing access
to affordable healthcare, ensuring
retirement security and protecting
our most vulnerable families.
One year later, in the off-year
elections, the AFT and our allies
again registered some key victories,
from a new governor in Virginia
to new mayors in Boston and New
York City to more pro-public education legislators nationwide.
The labor movement also saw
strikes by AFT affiliates that attracted national interest, including separate actions by teachers
and higher education faculty in
Chicago, and healthcare workers
in Connecticut and Ohio. In each
instance, the local unions took
huge risks to make the case not
for more money, but for a voice
on the job and more control over
their working conditions so they
could better serve their students
and patients.
While those unions and other
long-established AFT affiliates
fought hard at the bargaining
table, new affiliates were joining
the AFT family. February 2013 was
a memorable month, with two
landmark affiliation votes: The National Federation of Nurses, which
represents 34,000 registered nurses
across the country, affiliated with
the AFT. And North Dakota United
was created, when the AFT-affiliated North Dakota Public Employees
Association and the NEA-affiliated
North Dakota Education Association approved a merger of the two
organizations.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 1
The AFT’s ongoing effort to organize teachers and staff in charter
schools also continued to produce
results, with victories at schools
around the country.
While all-out state-level assaults
on unions and collective bargaining, like those we saw in Indiana,
Ohio, Wisconsin and elsewhere,
weren’t as prevalent, many AFT
local affiliates—especially in major
cities—found themselves the target
of efforts to close schools, impose
punitive and untested accountability schemes, and fire educators en masse. Chicago, Newark,
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were
among the cities that saw aggressive attacks on their public school
systems and the AFT members
who work there.
The AFT and its affiliates responded by emphasizing a better
approach: fix, rather than close,
public schools. As Weingarten
noted: “What parents, teachers,
students and the community want
is a high-quality public school in
their neighborhood. Instead of
reflexively closing schools, the
powers that be need to be focused
on working with parents and
teachers to make every school a
school where parents want to send
their kids, teachers want to teach
and kids want to learn.”
The ladder of opportunity
On the national level, many continuing AFT initiatives—and a few
2 | AFT
new ones—showed the union’s
varied approach to what could be
described as rebuilding the ladder
of opportunity to the middle class.
Most of these initiatives now fall
under the broader Reclaiming the
Promise umbrella.
The AFT’s partnership with
First Book, a nonprofit group that
gets free books into the hands of
low-income children, reached an
impressive milestone at the end of
2013, as the 1 millionth book was
given away. AFT affiliates around
the country have participated in
local book-distribution events that
have been enthusiastically received.
On the local level, the groundbreaking Reconnecting McDowell
partnership continues to bring big
changes to a West Virginia county
that is one of the poorest in the
country. The initiative was created
in 2011 to revitalize McDowell
County by improving schools,
encouraging economic development, and addressing families’
social and healthcare needs.
Less than two years after its
launch, Share My Lesson has
become one of the premier online
sites offering lesson plans and other
education resources, many of them
aligned with the Common Core
State Standards. Earlier in 2014, the
site reached 5 million downloads
and 500,000 registered users.
For K-12 educators, the Common Core State Standards—and
especially how they are implemented—loomed large in discussions about curriculum, assessment
and accountability. The AFT has
been at the center of the debate
about the Common Core, and we
have not hesitated to criticize the
transition, the monetization and
the high-stakes fixation that have
accompanied their rollout. We support the standards, not because they
are a silver bullet, but because they
can expose all children, regardless of
their backgrounds, to essential skills
and knowledge needed to succeed.
At the same time, we condemned
the disastrous way the Common
Core has been implemented, and
called for a moratorium on attaching high stakes to Common Core
assessments. A number of districts
and states, including New York, have
done just that.
A voice on the job
In every AFT membership division,
similar fights were waged to make
sure members have a voice on the
job that they can use to improve
the lives of the people they serve.
To name a few: We pushed for
better working conditions for
adjunct faculty members and
broader access to affordable higher
education for students. We worked
to make sure the Affordable Care
Act was implemented properly
and saved from partisan political
attacks. We educated lawmakers
and the public about the vital role
public employees play in making
our communities more livable.
We advocated for better funding
and training for early childhood
educators. And we held investment
managers accountable for working
to undermine the same public
employee pensions that they profit
from managing.
With a strong belief in social
justice and economic equality, the
AFT took a keen interest in a
number of high-profile national
political battles that still are
playing out in Congress and the
courts. On immigration reform,
the AFT has supported an
approach that creates a meaningful path toward citizenship for
millions of families and children
living in the shadows.
Congressional gridlock blocked
much substantive legislation from
moving forward, but the union
celebrated a huge legal victory
when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled
in favor of marriage equality in two
landmark cases in June 2013.
Thousands of AFT members
also helped mark the 50th anniver-
sary of the March on Washington
at a massive rally in August 2013.
Speaking to the crowd, Weingarten
called for “a continuation of that
righteous fight to achieve real justice and opportunity for all.” Noting
that the struggle for civil rights is
also a struggle for good jobs that
pay decent wages, she said, “Educational opportunity is the highway
to economic opportunity.”
Many of the issues the AFT
deals with regularly are predictable, especially in the political and
legislative arenas, but other events
are impossible even to imagine. The
last two years saw two tragedies that
brought the union and its members
together, as usual in times of crisis:
the December 2012 massacre of 26
children and staff at Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown,
Conn., and the devastation that
Superstorm Sandy brought to huge
parts of the Eastern seaboard, especially New Jersey and New York, in
November 2012.
Following the Sandy Hook
shootings, the AFT joined with
countless other groups and
individuals in calling for commonsense legislation to prevent gun
violence—supported by the vast
majority of the public—but those
measures were defeated by powerful pro-gun interests in Congress.
AFT affiliates in Connecticut did
help push through far-reaching
gun safety legislation in their state.
Superstorm Sandy highlighted
the heroic efforts that public employees play in responding to every
kind of disaster. AFT members and
their unions also reached out in
huge numbers, donating money,
manpower, school supplies and
more to help thousands of fellow
members begin to rebuild homes
and schools that were damaged.
A call to action
Virtually every one of these issues,
campaigns and projects fits neatly
under Reclaiming the Promise.
It’s a call to action: to reclaim the
promise by fulfilling public education’s purpose as a propeller of our
economy and an anchor of our
democracy; by ensuring access
to affordable and high-quality
early childhood care and higher
education; by creating a healthcare system that puts patient care
and safety above profits; and by
fighting for retirement security
and high-quality public services
that help ensure safe, healthy and
vibrant communities.
President Weingarten introduced Reclaiming the Promise at
the 2013 AFT TEACH Conference,
with a focus on K-12 education.
Since then, Reclaiming the Promise has been expanded into other
areas, with a different focus and
specific messages tailored to each
AFT constituency’s priority issues.
One important way in which
Reclaiming the Promise breaks
new ground for the AFT is the central involvement of a wide variety
of community partners, working
closely with the union on the issues
and approaches that truly address
their most pressing problems. For
instance, the AFT held community town hall meetings across the
country that attracted thousands
of people and generated lots of
great ideas. That feedback helped
mold “The Principles that Unite
Us,” a common vision for all school
districts to provide all children with
a high-quality public education.
The principles were a central
focus of the 2013 AFT Civil, Human
and Women’s Rights Conference.
The discussions at that gathering of
AFT activists and our community
partners were a prelude to a much
bigger effort: the National Day of
Action to Reclaim the Promise of
Public Education, which brought
together thousands of educators,
parents, students and community
members on Dec. 9, 2013, for more
than 100 events around the country.
May 2014 saw a broader focus
for another big Reclaiming the
Promise push, reflecting the
expansion of the program across
all areas of the union. Mobilization
May was a collection of events nationwide with an emphasis on promoting equity. As with the Day of
Action, Mobilization May brought
AFT affiliates together with community partners to spread the
message about the need to fight
for our vision of a society that
works for all its citizens. A number
of events nationwide marked the
60th anniversary of the landmark
Brown v. the Board of Education
Supreme Court decision.
Embracing technology
Every year brings advances in
technology, which means new
ways for unions to communicate
with their leaders and members.
LeaderNet, a website that serves
AFT leaders and activists, was
totally updated and redesigned in
2013, and a similarly sweeping redesign of the union’s public website—AFT.org—will be unveiled
later this year.
Meanwhile, the AFT has made
increasing use of various social
media platforms—primarily Twitter and Facebook—to communicate the union’s message quickly
and succinctly. President Weingarten has more than 36,000 followers
on Twitter, and the AFT’s official
Twitter account has more than
15,000. More than 26,000 people
“like” the AFT Facebook page.
With more than 200,000 “eactivists,” the AFT continues to use
email to spread the word about
important issues being considered in Congress and elsewhere;
some email blasts can generate
thousands of messages to elected
officials in a matter of hours.
Whether with new technology
or old-fashioned door-to-door
canvassing, as we move forward
with our work to reclaim the
promise of our of vital public
institutions, it’s safe to expect that
the next two years will bring more
of the same: challenges, opportunities, and a union and its affiliates
fighting to make a difference.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 3
PUBLIC EDUCATION
The future may see neighborhood
public schools that are safe and
welcoming places; curriculums that are
rich with teaching and learning rather
than testing; wraparound services
provided for children and families who
need them; and well-prepared, wellsupported teachers and staff working
with manageable class sizes and time
to collaborate. Those ends have driven
the work of the AFT Teachers and PSRP
divisions over the past two years—
work designed to reclaim the promise
of public education.
Teachers and the community have
advanced a better alternative: education policies that promote continuous
school improvement and sensible, supported implementation of standardsbased reform. At the local, state and
national levels, the AFT and our affiliates have called attention not just to
the promise of the new Common Core
State Standards but also to the dangers
posed by shoddy implementation of
those standards. We have highlighted
how far too many systems are proceeding with Common Core-related assessments, and with evaluations based
vilifies teachers and staff. At our 2013
TEACH Conference, Weingarten called
on educators to join with parents and
community partners nationwide in an
effort to reclaim the promise of public
education, work that continues to this
day. The union and its affiliates also
have reshaped the dialogue surrounding the Program for International Student Assessment,
known as PISA, the widely watched
international student achievement
survey—highlighting the report’s
important lessons about equity, teacher
support and other factors that are typi-
Teachers
on those test results, with a reckless
disregard for the resources, supports
and positive community engagement
needed to help the standards improve
teaching and learning. Last year, AFT
President Randi Weingarten called for
a moratorium on assessmentdriven sanctions tied to these new
standards until solid implementation
plans are embedded in schools and
proven effective. That message is carrying far: Last June, the U.S. Education
Department announced that states
will be allowed additional time before
using outcomes of new assessments
based on the Common Core standards
to evaluate teachers.
A related problem in standardsbased reform, runaway testing,
has also prompted action at
all union levels. In 2012, the union
and our affiliates launched “Learning
Is More Than a Test Score,” combining policies and public outreach to
convince policymakers that testing
should inform, not impede, teaching
and learning. The union also detailed
the instructional and financial costs
of testing in the 2013 report “Testing
More, Teaching Less,” and has called
out instances where overreliance on
standardized tests and value-added
methodology has triggered major
problems.
Many union activities are shaping the
narrative in public education—moving the agenda away from a climate
that all too frequently demonizes and
cally overlooked in PISA coverage and
discussions. School climate also has
emerged as a national concern, and
this year the union brought together
teachers, school support personnel,
mental health professionals, superintendents, community activists and
other stakeholders for a groundbreaking Educators’ Summit on School
Discipline.
This vision—a public school system
based on equal opportunity and
access rather than winners and losers—was spearheaded tirelessly and
courageously by members of the AFT
Teachers division over the past two
years. It was crafted with the community, in town hall conversations held
by AFT affiliates not long after the
2012 AFT convention. It was honed
in AFT advocacy and public
engagement at all levels—from the
fight against disastrous federal cuts
to education, to inspired mobilization against cuts and school closings
in Chicago, Newark, Philadelphia
and many other cities. In every case,
these battles have been conducted
with the public—neighborhoods that
are standing with teachers as they
fight those who demand and pursue
austerity, polarization, privatization
and professionalization in America’s
public schools.
4 | AFT
The union also has advanced comprehensive school-improvement approaches, often working
with entire communities to ensure the
social, emotional and health needs
of children and their families are met
through strong wraparound services.
Nationally recognized examples of
this work can be found in Cincinnati
and in the AFT’s leadership role in the
Reconnecting McDowell project. A
partnership of public, private, nonprofit and labor groups, Reconnecting McDowell has made substantial
progress in revitalizing the education-
ally struggling, economically depressed
McDowell County, W.Va.
Strong partnerships lead to constructive solutions—a fact that has shaped
some of the union’s biggest challenges
in schools today. Since its launch in
2009, the AFT Innovation Fund has
made a total of 30 investments across
the nation, building partnerships and
advancing teacher-developed approaches to evaluation, the Common
Core State Standards, expanded learning time and more. This type of work
is also being recognized by the union’s
Prize for Solution-Driven Unionism, an annual award that debuted in
2013. Through events like the AFT cosponsored Center for School Improvement and the AFT TEACH Summer
Academy, AFT leaders become change
agents in the school-improvement partnerships they’ve built back home.
Developing and expanding the tools
that teachers and students need to do
their best has been a major AFT Teachers divisional priority. Share My Lesson, a joint venture between
the AFT and TES Connect, now
has more than 500,000 registered
users. The award-winning site has
more than 300,000 resources, and
AFT affiliates across the nation have
found inventive ways to grow that total
through marathon weekend upload
sessions and “Bring Your Own Lesson”
parties.
Also posting vigorous growth is the
AFT’s partnership with the nonprofit
group First Book. Working with AFT
affiliates nationwide, First Book has
distributed more than 1 million new,
free children’s books to public schools
and to community and educational
groups serving children from lowincome families.
The union also has developed exciting new opportunities for teachers to
delve deeply into education’s top-tier
issues—and to voice their opinions
to colleagues across the country. In
partnership with the Albert Shanker
Institute, the union has launched the
Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education Conversation Series, monthly
panel discussions of front-burner
issues in education with some of the
most influential voices in the field.
The conversations are webcast and
posted online for teachers to view on
their own schedule.
Frontline educators can also offer
their opinions on those issues and
more, thanks to the AFT’s Voices from
the Classroom, a new blog where
educators can speak out on issues affecting their profession. For example, in
nine locals across the country, through
the AFT Teacher Leaders Program,
classroom teachers are becoming
knowledgeable about education
policy in order to advocate for positive
changes for their students, schools and
communities. From redesigning school
buildings in Toledo, Ohio, to examining the data of the free and reducedprice lunch programs in San Francisco,
teacher leaders are making a difference
in their schools every day.
The challenges for the future are
many—from working with the community for an end to reckless school closings, to the need for teacher evaluation
based on supports and continuous
professional improvement—but the
work of the past two years has placed
the division and the union in a strong
position to meet them. This work has
helped public schools become centers
of their communities. It has helped secure a voice and respect for those closest to the classroom. And it has helped
fulfill public education’s purpose as a
propeller of our economy, an anchor
of democracy, and a gateway to racial,
social and economic justice.
nity members, and organizing essential
records like high school transcripts and
IEPs; information technology experts
who keep computers running; paraprofessionals working side by side
with teachers, helping children
reach their academic potential; and so
many others who do all the work that
supports a rich educational environment for all public school children.
The past two years have been challenging for PSRPs. As budgets shrank,
paraprofessionals and school-related
personnel were laid off, or their working hours were reduced from full time
to part time. Having enough adults in
the classroom, like limiting class size,
is essential to reaching each child effectively—and is part of the AFT’s commitment to reclaiming the promise of a
high-quality education for all students.
Maintaining a full school staff
is important for other reasons as well:
Recent layoffs have caused a range of
problems, from underserved children in
PSRPs
The title may sound intimidating—
Paraprofessionals and School-Related
Personnel—but PSRPs, as they are
known, are some of the most accessible and warm-hearted, down-to-earth
AFT members, many of them not only
loyal and dedicated professionals but also mentors and role
models to the students they serve.
These members are the backbone of
our schools and the foundation of our
colleges: bus drivers who greet children
at the beginning of the school day;
food service workers who ensure they
are nourished and ready to learn; custodians and groundskeepers maintaining clean, inviting campuses; security
personnel guarding the safety
of students, teachers and administrators; registrars and office
workers greeting parents and commu-
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 5
Alaska, where the hours of family liaisons were cut back, to more kids skipping school due to a lack of full-time
security personnel who help keep them
in line and on campus; from paras
being required to take unpaid breaks in
Minnesota, to full-time clerical workers
in Chicago colleges going to part-time
positions, with no paid time off and no
affordable healthcare.
For those who do have job security,
pay has been an issue. But hard
work has produced some significant
improvements. In Delaware, where the
average paraeducator was living below
the poverty line, and many had been
furloughed, the Delaware Paraeducator Chapter Federation, Local 762,
demanded change. The results: higher
pay, a reduction from 26 to 10 in the
number of steps required to get to
the top of their pay scale, and a new
sliding pay scale based on years of
experience, a move that will help them
catch up to the national average para
pay within four years. Similarly, the
Oklahoma City Federation of Classified
Employees worked hard to ratify a new
contract that raised all wages by 65
cents an hour, bringing up the lowest
PSRP salaries by the highest percentages. Political action was an essential part
of the Oklahoma City local’s strategy.
On a national scale, AFT members
tackled raising the minimum
wage, contacting legislators and
advocating for more reasonable pay. In
January, President Obama signed an ex-
6 | AFT
ecutive order to increase the minimum
wage to $10.10 for some federal workers, and he has been pressing Congress
to pass similar legislation for all workers
in the United States.
The AFT is also making strides in
ensuring its members are welltrained, so they can deliver the
best services possible to their schools.
In Florida, the Hillsborough School
Employees Federation began offering
free English classes in 2013 to staff
who are non-English speakers, and the
Charlotte County Support Personnel
Association offers an array of professional development opportunities
specifically for support staff.
One of the most uplifting AFT
projects in recent years has been
its involvement with First Book.
PSRPs were a big part of this book
distribution program, which reached
a milestone in December 2013 when
it counted 1 million free books given
to children across the country. The
program relies on volunteers like the
hundreds of AFT members who have
worked in warehouses, preparing
books for mailing, and in schools,
where they have distributed them to
low-income children who would otherwise have no books in their homes.
Because of their efforts, more than
50,000 books were distributed in 19 schools in New Orleans;
families at COPA soccer tournaments
in Dallas and Houston got bilingual
and Spanish books; and more than 50
libraries were created for families living
in homeless shelters in New York. With
so many public libraries shuttered, the
work couldn’t be more important.
Equally gratifying was the progress
toward scratch cooking and healthier cafeteria meals among our
food service workers, whose commitment makes our schools safe and
welcoming places for children. In
Oklahoma City, workers were able to
return to cooking kitchens last year,
after a three-year experiment with
heat-and-eat. And for really fresh food,
more and more members are growing
school gardens like the ones supported
by the Keene (N.Y.) Central School
District Support Staff Association and
the Fairfax County (Va.) Federation of
Teachers. Just look at the photos we
posted on Facebook: go.aft.org/fall
harvest.
There was even some movie-star
glamour in the cafeteria in 2012:
AFT member and food service
worker Lynette Thomas appeared
on “Chopped,” the competitive TV
cooking show. We think she deserved
the recognition: She arrives to work
at Louisiana’s St. Martinville Primary
School around 4 a.m. to prepare breakfast, and all her meals are scratch-made
daily, even the breads.
Among local victories, custodians in San Antonio fought for and won
their jobs back after they’d been outsourced; the change also gave their colleagues in the cafeteria freedom from
custodial tasks for which they were not
prepared or trained, and restored fulltime schedules to custodians who had
been cut back to part time. Similarly,
Oregon School Employees Association
bus drivers won a fight to keep their
jobs from being outsourced, triumphing over a change that would have
reduced local control over their services
and threatened their job security.
In California, classified workers in
Berkeley reunited with bus drivers,
food service workers, maintenance
and yard workers, campus security
and custodians, rejoining the Berkeley
Council of Classified Employees, and
classified staff at Pasadena City College
voted to affiliate with the AFT. The
Iberia (La.) Federation of Teachers and
Support Personnel joined the Louisiana
Federation of Teachers/AFT, and the
Oregon Support Employees Association
grew two new chapters. Bus drivers in
Houston won new power to discipline
kids on the bus, and Head Start and
Early Head Start workers in Erie County,
N.Y., voted to affiliate with the New
York State United Teachers.
The AFT’s ranks of PSRP members
continue to thrive as active unionists, but they never lose sight of their
first love: serving students.
EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE
AND EDUCATION
Thanks in large measure to the courageous work and unmatched dedication
of AFT members, the nation is on the
cusp of a great opportunity to reclaim
the promise of early childhood care and
education and to fulfill our collective
obligation to guarantee every child and
family has access to affordable,
high-quality early childhood
programs.
AFT members have joined with parents, educators, care providers and the
community to oppose cruel, shortsighted cuts, and Capitol Hill has shown
some capacity to respond to this call to
action. Congress and the White House
this year restored more than $400 million in sequester cuts to Head Start and
provided $500 million for Early Head
Start-Child Care Partnerships. After
two decades of stalemate, a bill to reauthorize Child Care and Development
Block Grants stormed through the
Senate on a 96-2 vote. And, from New
York to California, many local and state
authorities have matched or exceeded
these efforts, advancing policies that
invest in children, in services and in the
professionals who deliver them.
For the union, this movement
comes at a time of vigor—when
the AFT has grown and strengthened
our voice in the community around the
mission of reclaiming the promise of
early childhood care and education.
In early childhood education
organizing, the AFT has been blazing
a path for educators and providers in
home sites and centers to negotiate
with the state on access and affordability, quality of care and education, and
level of subsidies provided to families.
This path leads directly through state
legislatures, with AFT strategies unique
to every state.
Three campaigns gained impressive
traction in the 2014 legislative sessions.
In Washington state, AFT Washington
is working in partnership with other
labor unions, pursuing a voice in
universal pre-K in Seattle with a
goal of higher pay, and a voice in professional standards for early childhood
teachers and staff. In New Mexico, the
AFT continues to build pressure for a
historic constitutional amendment—
the first in the United States—that
would create a dedicated funding
stream for early learning programs.
In Vermont, AFT organizers claimed
victory after a multiyear push for a
law that would recognize the right of
home-based child care staff to organize
and then negotiate with the state.
In New York and other states, efforts continue to organize Head
Start teachers and staff as well as pre-K
teachers in public school districts. In
2014, the AFT-affiliated New York State
United Teachers organized Head Start
employees in Buffalo, N.Y., working to
expand union density in the northern
part of the state. And much of this
work is being supported by an AFT
organizing toolkit developed in 2013
for early childhood education.
Also flourishing in recent months
are projects and partnerships
that strengthen ties with the
community. This year, the AFT unveiled
new parent- and teacher-friendly materials that can help enrich every child’s
transition from early learning to kindergarten. From Baltimore to Detroit, a
joint effort by the AFT, our affiliates and
the nonprofit group First Book has put
new books into the hands of tens of
thousands of young learners and their
families. And, through popular Worthy
Wage Day events, we have pressed the
cause of professional compensation for
a professional workforce.
Similarly, the AFT has been active
in securing resources, training and working conditions
that help teachers and staff do their
best. Share My Lesson, the awardwinning joint venture between the AFT
and TES Connect, now offers more
than 300,000 online resources for the
classroom and a growing catalog of
materials for teachers of early learners.
The AFT also developed “Supporting Teachers as Learners: A Guide for
Mentors and Coaches in Early Care and
Education” and debuted new training
for early childhood educators focused
on important work contained in Ellen Galinsky’s “Mind in the Making:
The Seven Essential Skills Every Child
Needs.” The union is also adding new
resources that address the ergonomics of working in early childhood
education, and ways to keep settings
“green” and healthy.
Clearly, the past two years will be
remembered as an important starting
point: a chance to reclaim the promise
of early childhood care and education,
not as it is today or as it was in the past
but as it can be for generations.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 7
AFFORDABLE HIGHER EDUCATION
AFT Higher Education represents more
than 210,000 full-time and contingent
faculty members, professional staff and
graduate employees on more than 500
college and university campuses in 24
states. They work mostly in the public
sector, nearly evenly divided between
two-year and four-year institutions,
educating the country’s diverse students of all needs and ages.
American public higher education is
a system long associated with
opportunity and promise, and
its hallmarks—broad access to learning, research that changes lives, service
that improves the community—have
reflected a vision of education as a
public good that is a model the world
aspires to emulate.
That promise has been under
assault for years. States have pursued
a course of disinvestment, making it
harder for middle- and lower-income
families to access higher education and
make uninterrupted educational progress. Disinvestment also has resulted
in an enormous cost shift of a trillion
dollars onto the backs of students and
families. Institutions have divested in
the instructional workforce, such that a
majority of courses now are taught by
contingent faculty.
Seeing opportunities to profit,
privatizers have moved in, looking
8 | AFT
to remake higher education along a
corporate model with policies that
prioritize making a buck, not helping
our students succeed.
At this time, the AFT’s leaders and
members have taken two tacks: We
have fought back against unrelenting
attacks on public education and collective bargaining rights. And we have
looked forward, sharpening our mission, clarifying our definition of quality,
identifying solutions to problems and,
ultimately, solidifying our resolve to
reclaim the promise of higher
education for our students and our
country.
AFT Higher Education’s leadership
group, the program and policy council,
shapes the priorities and activities
of the division. Its work generates a
flow of meetings, research and policy
reports, and legislative and other initiatives, and it holds an annual issues
conference, which this year was on the
theme of Reclaiming the Promise.
In sum, reclaiming the promise of
higher education means:
■ Ensuring that all have access to highquality, affordable higher education;
■ Ensuring rigorous instruction that is
student-centered and faculty-driven;
■ Relieving student debt burdens;
■ Fostering diverse institutions; and
■ Ensuring that faculty and staff are
well-prepared, professionally supported and have a voice in academic
decisions.
To that end, here are highlights of
AFT Higher Education’s solution-driven
work over the past two years.
Delegates at the 2012 AFT convention ratified a resolution calling for the
union to broaden and deepen its work
with student organizations around
college affordability and accessibility, student debt and student voter
engagement. A year later, AFT Higher
Education released “On the Backs of
Students and Families: Disinvestment
in Higher Education and the Student
Loan Debt Crisis,” outlining a series
of policy recommendations aimed at
relieving debt, rebuilding the state role
in funding, prioritizing academic needs
in college budgets, and eliminating
fraud and abuse, especially within the
for-profit sector.
Student groups are our natural partners in this effort, and AFT
Higher Education has been working
closely with them to build coalitions
to counter student loan rate increases,
state policy proposals masquerading
as tuition reduction (such as “Pay It
Forward”), and unending Wall Street
schemes to profit from financing what
most consider a nonprofit endeavor.
Seeking solutions and accountability, in 2013, AFT President Randi Weingarten joined more than 100 students
from groups from around the country,
who amassed at a Sallie Mae annual shareholders meeting in
Newark, Del. AFT members’ retirement
fund assets are invested in Sallie Mae
and other financial institutions. With
that standing, Weingarten presented
two strong resolutions calling for transparency and for CEO pay to reflect the
debt burdens of students and families.
This year, Weingarten and U.S.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren helped launch
“Higher Ed, Not Debt,” a multiyear, multipartner campaign featuring
leading experts from youth, policy,
labor and grass-roots organizations
committed to fight against ballooning student loan debt. And in May,
AFT Higher Education released an
eye-popping analysis, “Borrowing
Against the Future: The Hidden Costs of Financing U.S.
Higher Education,” exposing
how the financing
of higher education
delivers earnings of
$44 billion a year to
Wall Street.
The AFT provides support for locals
in pitched battles to protect services to
the people they serve. Examples include
support for the community effort of
the United University Professions, the
New York State United Teachers and
the New York State Public Employees
Federation to save medical services to
more than a million Brooklyn patients
served by the State University of New
York Downstate Medical Center.
Another example is the fight
against a regional accreditor in California that has withdrawn accreditation of City College of San Francisco.
This David-and-Goliath battle, waged
by AFT Local 2121 and the California
Federation of Teachers against the
powerful Accrediting Commission for
Community and Junior Colleges, is
Students and their families are
not the only ones taking a lifelong hit
because of the underfunding of higher
education. For decades, the AFT has
been documenting, organizing around,
lobbying against and broadcasting
about the shift in the academic workforce from a full-time, tenured corps to
an underpaid, underresourced
and exploited contingent faculty. This shift is having a devastating effect on the colleagues we have
trained for academic work, on governance and research in our institutions,
and on students who can’t get the full
instructional delivery their tuition bill
would seem to promise. But especially,
it brings chaos and uncertainty to the
lives of contingent faculty, who work
full-time for an average pay of $2,700
per three-credit course and no benefits
or job security.
AFT Higher Education works both
to support and organize contingent
faculty and to fight policies that make
things worse. For example, the AFT
has been at the table with the Treasury
Department to ensure institutions do
not use the Affordable Care Act
as an opportunity to further bludgeon
part-time faculty’s effort to make
a living and find access to affordable healthcare. And AFT members’
experiences were among the many
expressed in the January 2014 report
from the Democratic staff of the U.S.
House of Representatives Education
and the Workforce Committee, “The
Just-in-Time Professor: A Staff Report
Summarizing eForum Responses on
the Working Conditions of Contingent
Faculty in Higher Education.”
AFT Higher Education is also moving in new organizing directions, with a regional, not institutionbound, organizing model.The United
Academics of Philadelphia is a group
reaching out to the 15,000 contingent
faculty teaching at public and private
colleges within 30 miles of the city.
The AFT is ticking up its research
university organizing, with
victories at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, and a contract at the University of Oregon that prioritizes equity for
nontenure-track faculty.
reaching all the way to the U.S. Department of Education.
In Washington, D.C., the AFT has
been a knowledgeable voice and advocate in the framing of policy around
gainful employment regulations that would protect students and
veterans from the predatory recruitment practices of for-profit institutions.
It has been fighting for comprehensive
immigration reform, a goal that would
benefit our society but most especially
the 65,000 young DREAMers who
would be able to go to college under
the provisions of the proposed DREAM
(Development, Relief and Education for
Alien Minors) Act.
After meeting throughout 2012,
the AFT Teacher Preparation
Task Force released its report and
recommendations, “Raising the Bar:
Aligning and Elevating Teacher Preparation and the Teaching Profession.” The
task force, made up evenly of both
higher education faculty and K-12
teachers, urged
a more systemic
approach to preparing teachers
and a rigorous
threshold to ensure that every
teacher is ready
to teach from
his or her first day in the classroom.
The goal is to ensure an education
pipeline that delivers the promise of
education from pre-K through higher
education.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 9
HIGH-QUALITY HEALTHCARE
AFT Healthcare is committed to
pursuing a quality agenda that will
move our country closer to reclaiming
the promise of high-quality, affordable healthcare that meets the needs
of patients. Because the healthcare
system is fragmented across settings,
providers and states, the division has
focused on reclaiming that promise
by ensuring that patient care
and safety are put above
profits; that frontline caregivers
are well-prepared and supported so
they can provide proper patient care;
that institutions are responsive to the
communities they serve and provide
access to all; and that the system is
designed around wellness, not just
treatment.
The union’s ability to address the
challenges facing the healthcare industry was greatly enhanced in 2013
by the National Federation of
Nurses’ decision to affiliate with the
AFT. The affiliation brought 34,000
registered nurses—from Montana,
Ohio, Oregon and Washington
state—into the AFT. These nurses
joined the more than 48,000 nurses
and health professionals who were
already represented by the union. The
partnership broadens the platform for
10 | AFT
bringing new members into the organization. And it will boost advocacy
in the workplace and with state and
national policymakers, as nurses play
a key role in maintaining high-quality
patient care in a changing healthcare
system.
In addition to the NFN affiliates,
the AFT also welcomed new healthcare members from the Visiting
Nurses Association of Southeastern
Connecticut and Community Health
Services Inc., both in Connecticut;
GuildNet in New York; and Porter
Medical Center in Vermont.
Easily the single most significant
event in healthcare in the last two
years has been the launching of the
Affordable Care Act. Although
it’s been more than four years since
its passage, members still have plenty
of questions about the law and its
impact on their work.
For instance, the ACA is relying
on coordination of care to solve the
problems of high healthcare costs, uneven quality of care and poor patient
outcomes. This coordination of care,
as well as new models of care that
focus on prevention and management
of chronic illnesses, are expected to
better utilize the knowledge, skills
and abilities of registered nurses and
other healthcare professionals. They
are also likely to increase opportunities for advanced practice registered
nurses to serve in primary-care provider roles. As registered nurses and
APRNs play an increasingly substantial
role in coordinating care to improve
its delivery, helping them step into
their new roles is an AFT Healthcare
priority.
A number of AFT Healthcare
affiliates have partnered with other
healthcare groups in an effort to
address questions and educate their
communities about the ACA, as well
as help residents navigate the healthcare sign-up process. In New Jersey,
the AFT-affiliated Health Professionals and Allied Employees co-sponsored an ACA forum in
Camden that brought together residents, community leaders and health
professionals to learn about the ACA
and get help signing up for health
coverage. The Ohio Nurses Association held a similar event for the
residents of Columbus. That event,
which featured state legislators, gave
participants a chance to hear about
the ins and outs of the new law and
how Medicaid expansion in the state
could affect them. Attendees were also
offered free basic health screenings
from ONA members.
Partnering with the community
has played a major role in the efforts
by AFT Healthcare members to ensure
their communities have access to highquality care. A number of affiliates
have joined forces with the community
in order to save their hospitals or the
services their hospitals provide.
In New York, community and labor
came together to save State University of New York Downstate Medical
Center in Brooklyn, when the governor
and the state Legislature targeted the
hospital for downsizing, privatization
and even possible closure. The AFTaffiliated New York State Public
Employees Federation, which
represents 700 workers at the medical
center, and the United University
Professions chapter at Downstate, which is also an AFT affiliate
and represents 3,300 of the hospital’s
faculty and staff, worked in coalition
with community organizations and
clergy to save the hospital. Though the
fight to build and invest in the hospital
continues, the labor-community coalition leading the effort to prevent the
privatization of the hospital continues
to have an impact. State legislators listened to the call of clergy, union members, patients and others, who rallied,
marched and lobbied to save the vital
services provided by the medical center, excluding from the state budget a
pilot measure that would have opened
the door to privatizing the hospital and
two others in the system.
In Jersey City, N.J., the nurses at
Christ Hospital, who are represented
by HPAE, successfully fought the
sale of its hospital to a for-profit
hopsital with a questionable
track record. Although the hospital
was bought by another for-profit, the
members at Christ Hospital, like their
colleagues in hospitals across the coun-
try, are determined to remain vigilant
and continue to work on safe staffing,
stricter health and safety rules, and
maintaining the availability of services
for the residents of Jersey City.
Community engagement also
helped the nurses at Northside Medical
Center in Youngstown, Ohio, during
ongoing contract negotiations with
the hospital. The nurses, who were
part of the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association/
ONA, reached out to the community
through informational picketing during the negotiations. When hospital
management refused to even discuss
issues related to quality of care and
patient safety, blocking an agreement
and leading to a one-day strike and a
hospital lockout, the nurses received
widespread community support. Allies
included local and state officials, U.S.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and
various community organizations. The
nurses and the hospital agreed to a
contract in January 2014.
The nurses and health
professionals at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London,
Conn., also waged a heated
battle for their union rights in
2013. L+M had established separate facilities that provided the
same services as the hospital,
with a distinct difference: The
nurses and support staff working at the newly formed facilities
were no longer members of
the healthcare locals that once
represented them. The three AFT
Connecticut locals that represent
1,600 registered nurses, licensed
practical nurses, technologists
and healthcare workers at the
hospital banded together to
fight its effort to bust the union.
The members reached out to
their community
for support and
launched a public
awareness campaign called “I
am L+M” to hold the hospital
accountable for its actions.
The fight spilled over into the
contract negotiations between
L+M and two of the locals, and
resulted in a four-day strike and
a three-week lockout by the
hospital. Before and during the
lockout, L+M nurses and techs
found encouragement and
solidarity among the community, from patients and their families
to civic leaders. In January 2014, the
nurses and health professionals came
to an agreement with the hospital that
ensured the caregivers’ voices would
be heard and their concerns would be
addressed in the future.
The AFT’s nurses and health
professionals are determined to turn
the institutions where they work into
places that make patients’ needs a priority by uniting their own voices with
the voices of patients, families and the
community.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 11
PUBLIC SERVICES FOR
STRONG COMMUNITIES
More than 4,000 job titles are included within the ranks of the federal,
state and local government employees represented by the AFT. Yet
despite this broad range of roles and
responsibilities, they share the common goal of providing high-quality
public services that support communities and keep them safe, healthy and
vibrant.
Whether they’re employed as
wildlife biologists in Montana, accountants in Colorado or bridge
inspectors in New York, public employees take seriously their collective
obligation to reclaim the promise of strong communities that
advance the common good.
AFT-represented public employees
know that reclaiming the promise of
high-quality public services is about
ensuring that tax dollars are invested
back in their communities and that
public sector workers are well-prepared and supported.
Yet, far too often, the work of
these dedicated AFT members and
the essential public services they
provide are undermined by those who
demand and pursue austerity, polarization, privatization and deprofessionalization.
Well-funded, effective and accountable public services enhance
the quality of everyone’s life and help
bolster commerce and economic
development. However, that reality
seems to be lost on elected leaders
and others who call for the elimination of much-needed services—and
12 | AFT
the privatizing and outsourcing of
some government programs.
This is evident in New York,
where the state has targeted SUNY
Downstate Medical Center—
Brooklyn’s fourth-largest employer
and a safety net for those who need
medical care, regardless of ability to
pay—for downsizing, privatization or
possible closure. In response, a coalition of unions, clergy, elected officials
and community groups, including the
Public Employees Federation and the
United University Professions, has rallied to save the hospital.
The Public Employees Federation
also led a Save Our Services
campaign that opposed Gov.
Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to close
several state-run psychiatric hospitals.
In addition to packing a major SOS
rally at the state Capitol in Albany last
January, the union sent the governor
petitions opposing the plan, signed by
thousands of PEF members and their
allies. The AFT affiliate also ran radio
and television ads pointing out that
closing these facilities would result
in lost revenue, jobs and services for
their communities.
Refusing to have their voices silenced, members of the AFT-affiliated
Pittsfield Town Employees in New
Hampshire fought back when town
officials imposed a gag order that
would have prevented employees
from criticizing policies that they
considered both dangerous and
inefficient. The gag order prohibited
employees from writing letters to the
editor or making public statements
regarding their employment condtions. The small Pittsfield union challenged the gag order, and the New
Hampshire Public Employee Labor
Relations Board ruled that the town
had violated employees’ right
to free speech, and had broken
the collective bargaining agreement
by denying overtime and detail duty
for police officers and ambulance
personnel.
But it’s not only services that are
the target of those advocating for
austerity and privatization. Many of
our members—the workers who provide these services—find themselves
targets as well, as their pay, benefits
and retirement security are being
attacked.
Illinois is a prime example: In
2012, legislators in the Midwestern
state scrapped a proposal to reform
the state pension system that would
have preserved retirement security
while delivering significant savings
to the state. Instead, despite vocal
opposition from numerous lawmakers and outcry from public employees
and others, the Illinois Legislature last
year passed a bill that slashes pensions—legislation that is both fiscally
unsound and harmful to the retirement security of the state’s public
employees.
State employee affiliates
of the Illinois Federation of
Teachers have joined with other
unions and their allies to challenge
those pension changes in court. They
are also keeping the political heat on
the legislators who supported the bill,
as well as the governor, who signed
it into law.
The AFT and its affiliates have not
sat idly by as services and jobs have
been put in jeopardy. Recognizing
that reaching out to those they serve
is essential to reclaiming the
promise of high-quality public services, the national union
and a growing number of locals have
ramped up their community engage-
ment programs.
The Federation of Franklin County
Children Services Employees is one of
those locals. Two summers ago, members of the Columbus, Ohio-based
affiliate connected with the young
children and families they serve when
they threw a party to celebrate a new
library at the family services center,
stocked with books provided by the
AFT through its partnership with
the First Book program. In addition,
social workers represented by the
union distributed free books during
home visits. Members of the local
also participate in a speakers’ bureau
where they regularly visit schools and
hospitals to talk about the services
they provide.
Coalition building sometimes
revolves around a clear and present
danger. That was certainly the case
in Kansas, where deep tax cuts and
a series of legislative proposals introduced by the governor and passed
by the state Legislature have reduced
services to some of the state’s most
vulnerable citizens.
Labor and community groups in
Kansas came together to form two
statewide coalitions—Keeping
the Kansas Promise and the
Working Kansas Alliance—to
fight for the full funding of highquality public services.
One of the AFT’s chief responses
to the myriad challenges mentioned
here is to advocate for and highlight
solution-driven unionism. Affiliates
and individual members have long put
forward programs and ideas aimed
at improving the agencies they work
in or the services they provide—often
with very little recognition or credit.
That’s beginning to change with
the AFT’s establishment of its Prize
for Solution-Driven Unionism. Last
October, the State Employees
Bargaining Agent Coalition
in Connecticut was one of three
winners of the inaugural prize, for
its work with state officials to forge
the Health Enhancement Program—a
program that helped save jobs and
benefits, and is expected to save the
state $1.6 billion.
Using the Connecticut program
as a model, Colorado WINS (Workers
for Innovative and New Solutions)
launched a wellness program in July
2013. The Colorado state employee
affiliate worked with the state to
create a program that, among other
things, gives premium rebates to
those employees who voluntarily
participate.
Making the public aware of the
invaluable—and often underappreciated—contributions of hardworking
public employees is crucial to winning
support for the work that our members do.
In Montana, the union’s MEAMFT affiliate has long publicized the
outstanding services provided by
members across
the state with
its Work that
Matters program. Through
Work that Matters, community
organizations,
decision-makers
and the community have become
more aware of the contributions
made by Montana’s public employees.
There’s strength in numbers, and
in North Dakota, the merger of the
North Dakota Public Employees Association and the North Dakota Education Association has made the newly
formed North Dakota United
the largest public employee union in
the state.
The kind of union-building
and solidarity that has taken place
in North Dakota—and across the
nation—goes a long way toward
advancing the common good and reclaiming the promise of highquality public services that
benefit families, strengthen
communities, create safe
environments and bolster the
economy.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 13
SAFEGUARDING
RETIREMENT SECURITY
One of the AFT’s most powerful resources is our retired members. Retirees
who remain active in supporting their
locals, their state federations and the
national union—and in advocating for
their profession and their communities—are critical to helping our movement grow. These retired AFT members
know that reclaiming the promise of
a secure retirement means uniting our
voices—workers, employers and the
community.
Organizing and building
strong retiree chapters is a priority for
the AFT. Each year, the AFT’s retiree
division increases its membership. Since
the last convention, the division has
established new chapters in East Baton
Rouge, La., and Sacramento, Calif.
Strong retiree chapters with active
and engaged members are the key
to addressing many of the challenges
facing all retirees, including protecting
Medicare, preserving Social Security
and opposing efforts to undermine
healthcare reform. In addition to
standing up for economic and retirement security, retirees continue to work
alongside other members in the fight
for collective bargaining rights; funding for education, public services and
healthcare; and jobs.
Over the last two years, retiree
members have joined the union in
opposing any compromise on federal
spending or raising the debt ceiling
that would lead to cuts in Social
Security and Medicare benefits. They
spoke out against the efforts of some
lawmakers to reduce spending by
reducing cost-of-living adjustments in
Social Security and means-testing for
Medicare, which would have increased
premiums for seniors with higher
14 | AFT
incomes. The AFT, which supports
addressing the spending cuts and generating revenue through tax reform,
has opposed these proposals, partnering with organizations such as the
Alliance for Retired Americans, Social
Security Works, Health Care for
America Now, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and
Medicare. Together, the groups worked
intensively to keep Social Security and
Medicare out of harm’s way and were
successful.
During the summer of 2013, AFT
retirees across the nation took a stand
against the “chained CPI,” the
Obama administration’s proposed
formula to reduce Social Security
cost-of-living increases as part of a
“grand bargain” with Republicans on
the federal budget for fiscal year 2014.
Retirees by the thousands rallied and
created human chains in front of key
congressional offices and federal buildings in more than 50 cities nationwide
in a national day of protest sponsored
by the Alliance for Retired
Americans. Their efforts paid off
when President Obama announced
that his administration’s fiscal year
2015 budget would not include a
switch to the chained CPI formula.
AFT retirees have pushed to reclaim
the promise of a secure retirement and
fulfill our collective obligation to ensure
that all Americans, after careers of hard
work and service, can live independent,
dignified lives. They aggressively challenged efforts by states such as Illinois,
Michigan and Rhode Island to cut the
pensions of current and retired public
employees.
The AFT also worked to fulfill the
vision of retirement security by engaging in a broad-based effort with
state treasurers, large
Wall Street firms and
unions to expand retirement security
through pooled professional asset
management.
As in the past, retired AFT members
were major players in local, state and
national elections. For example, the
ABC Federation of Teachers
retiree chapter organized around
several ballot initiatives in California’s
2012 elections. Laura Rico, president of
ABC’s retiree chapter says her members
are already looking ahead to mobilizing
for the 2014 elections.
Retirees helped lead the labor
movement’s effort to re-elect President
Obama and other union-backed candidates. They enthusiastically staffed
phone banks, canvassed neighborhoods to educate fellow union members about the issues, registered voters
and more. Many AFT retirees also
took on roles as political coordinators,
managing and mobilizing volunteer
members of the AFT and the AFL-CIO
in the months leading up to the 2012
elections.
None of this would be possible
without strong retiree leaders and
their efforts to encourage fellow
retirees to remain active in the
union and in the community. Retiree
leaders have also remained important
contributors to the AFT’s volunteer
back-to-school organizing work.
AFT retirees will continue to play
a critical role in the union’s efforts
to strengthen public education,
public services and healthcare,
working with their active colleagues
in the fight to improve key federal
programs and traditional pensions, for
themselves and future retirees.
EVERYDAY HEROES
After a nationwide nomination and
voting process, nine extraordinary
union members were selected as our
2014 AFT Everyday Heroes. These AFT
members epitomize the spirit of public
service, camaraderie and compassion,
and inspire us all to reclaim the
promise in our chosen fields and in
our communities.
JULIE AHERN
Second-Grade Teacher
Andrew Cooke Magnet School,
Waukegan, Ill.
Lake County Federation of
Teachers, Local 504
Julie Ahern often counts her victories
by the moments when her students
take a bow. A second-grade teacher
at Andrew Cooke Magnet School in
Waukegan, Ill., Ahern entered teaching 20 years ago as a second career.
Her background in business and
marketing has proved useful over the
years, as she scours the landscape for
new resources and opportunities that
don’t always reach students in schools
like Andrew Cooke, where everyone
qualifies for federal meal assistance.
Today, she encourages all teachers to tap the power of groups like
DonorsChoose.org when it comes to
community support for classrooms.
Ahern’s first school contest was
collecting signatures for the Sharpie
Supply Challenge, and the effort
brought an amazing nine awards of
$5,000 each to pay for school supplies. All of Ahern’s students today
have their own laptops thanks to donations, and her classroom boasts 12
iPads for student use. Another grant
brought a 3-D printer for the classroom: Now, when Ahern’s students
are not cranking out “Despicable Me”
minions on the printer, they are learning how this type of next-generation
equipment has the capacity to turn
out everything from houses to living
organs sculpted from tissue.
And she says it never gets old,
finding new ways to bring the cutting
edge into the lives of students in ways
that make them blossom. Recently,
she helped the school win a Pepsi
Refresh Project grant—money that returned the school’s greenhouse to its
original mission after too many years
of neglect, serving as a glass-paneled
storage area.
Another competition Ahern helped
land brought celebrity authors and
illustrators to the school. And it provided a springboard for one student
to really shine. “Henry can be one of
my shyer students, but he’s amazing
when it comes to drawing,” Ahern
says of the student whose work won
the author/illustrator visits. “When the
other students heard that Henry won
them a chance to meet the author of
the Captain Underpants books, they
were practically bowing to him.”
RICHIE PAWLAK
Computer Programmer
Morton College, Cicero, Ill.
Cook County College Teachers
Union, Local 1600
When it comes to playing for a good
cause, Richie Pawlak will never say no.
Pawlak is a computer programmer for
Morton College in Cicero, Ill., and a
member of the Cook County College
Teachers Union, but outside work he’s
a bit of a rock star. He plays in three
bands, and every October one of
them—the Mud Pie Band—is asked
to participate in Flowers for Hope, a
street festival benefit in his suburban
Chicago neighborhood of Berwyn. So
Pawlak grabs his bass guitar and joins
his bandmates to play music from the
1990s to raise money for the Breast
Cancer Research Foundation.
Pawlak also goes door to door asking businesses to donate baskets for a
fundraising raffle associated with the
event. And between
sets, he’s helping the
JULIE
AHERN
firefighters’ union sell
AFT Teachers
chocolate bars for the
cause. Pawlak, 52, has
lived in Berwyn nearly
all his life. To say he’s deeply committed
is an understatement: In the days preceding the event, he wears pink extensions in his long hair—pink for breast
cancer awareness—to be sure everyone
remembers to attend. Last year, the
event raised more than $10,000 to
promote breast cancer awareness.
Between band practices (his other
bands play country and classic rock),
Pawlak also organizes coat drives and
food drives at the college, where he
has worked for 30 years. And he helps
run the union’s Toys for Tots program.
“He’s always the No. 1 guy; whatever is needed, he helps out,” says Tim
Visk, the union’s classified employees
chapter chair for Morton College.
“It’s a rough time for some
people,” explains Pawlak. “I’m trying
to make it a little easier for them.”
Pawlak has done walkathons to
raise money for Alzheimer’s research
and stair climbs for lung cancer
research, and he has contributed
to scholarships for Native American
students. “If any kid ... is willing to
learn, there should be support for him
or her,” says Pawlak.
How does he find time for it all? “I
don’t sleep very much,” he says. “I
figure when I retire, I can sleep then.”
RICHIE
PAWLAK
AFT PSRP
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 15
MARIA ALAMO
Prekindergarten Paraeducator
Marshall School,
Hempstead, N.Y.
Hempstead Teaching Assistants
Association, Local 4664
MARIA
ALAMO
AFT Early
Childhood
Education
16 | AFT
Prekindergarten programs run on
strong connections, and nobody
understands that better—or uses it
to better effect—than Maria Alamo.
A paraeducator for the past 13 years
in the prekindergarten program at
Marshall School in Hempstead, N.Y.,
Alamo discovered her passion for
working with young children when
her daughters attended the program
and she began working as a parent
volunteer. “I just loved the interaction—all the ways that the students
learn and discover.”
Many of the children Alamo works
with hail from families who speak
English as a second language, which
frequently makes their first days in
school daunting and overwhelming.
Spanish is the language they speak
at home, and Alamo has discovered
she can usually make them feel at
ease—not merely because she speaks
the language well, but also, as her
nominator explains, because “her
caring and loving nature has created a
sense of family.”
She has a strong reputation for
extending those connections to the
home, too, communicating on a regular basis with parents and guardians,
explaining ways they can take active
roles in the education of their children.
“Her sensitive nature is like nothing else I have ever witnessed,” her
nominator says, and many classroom
stories bear out that point. There was
the time, for instance, when Alamo
noticed that a young boy was struggling as he tried to participate in a
group engaged in a worksheet task,
matching pictures with letters. He
was upset, and when Alamo took him
aside to find out what was wrong,
he said, “I’m not going to school
anymore.” Just come in tomorrow and
it will be different, she assured him.
The next day, Alamo had arranged
letter squares on the floor, and the
boy spent a happy and productive
morning hopping onto the right letter
when Alamo pointed to each word.
“Kinesthetic learner,” she says with a
chuckle, “that was all it was. He did
great after that.”
KRYSTAL WOOLSTON
Assistant Director of Service
Learning and Community
Engagement
Montclair State University,
Montclair, N.J.
Montclair State Faculty,
Professional Staff and
Librarians, Local 1904
When your job title has “service” in
it, people expect you to be outerdirected. But for Krystal Woolston,
helping others is more than a job: It’s
a calling and a gift.
Woolston is assistant director
of service learning and community engagement at Montclair State
University in New Jersey. In that job,
she sets up opportunities for MSU
students to do service projects like
tutoring middle school students in
nearby Orange, becoming part of
AmeriCorps and, when disaster hits,
organizing relief efforts. She has also
brought opportunities to volunteer
at local food banks to her union, the
Montclair State Faculty, Professional
Staff and Librarians.
When Superstorm Sandy wreaked
devastation on the East Coast in
October 2012, Woolston’s office organized fundraising, food and clothing
drives, and cleanup and recovery
efforts involving students. And on
weekends, she served breakfast in the
Jersey shore community of Bay Head.
On one of those weekends, she
learned about a volunteer opportunity
in Haiti; using her vacation time and
her own resources, she joined rebuilding efforts last year and this one. She
also has run service trips for students
to New Orleans, for rebuilding after
Hurricane Katrina.
Woolston says she got the
volunteering bug in sixth grade. As
her teenage years became more challenging and she wound up living with
one of her church’s youth leaders, volunteering was something they could
do together when they agreed on
nothing else. That experience helped
her see, she says, “that when difficult
things happen, you need someone to
step in.”
That view is what informs her life
today. “I believe that if you have an
ability to help someone else, you have
the responsibility to do that.”
LISA D’ABROSCA
STEPHANIE JOHNSON
HARRY RODRIGUEZ
Presidents, AFT Connecticut
Locals 5049, 5051 and 5123
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital,
New London, Conn.
Three locals, one union: That’s the
motto of the three union locals at
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New
London, Conn. “We act as one voice
and one large union family,” says
Stephanie Johnson, president of AFT
Local 5051, which represents licensed
practical nurses and technicians.
Johnson works closely with Harry
Rodriguez, president of AFT Local
5123, which represents service and
support workers, and Lisa D’Abrosca,
president of AFT Local 5049, which
represents registered nurses at the
hospital.
It was the unity of each of these
locals that brought members through
a fight to keep patient care services
in their community hospital—includ-
KRYSTAL
WOOLSTON
AFT Higher
Education
LISA D’ABROSCA
STEPHANIE JOHNSON
HARRY RODRIGUEZ
AFT Healthcare
ing a strike, a hospital lockout and,
ultimately, a successful contract
negotiation this winter.
“I’m thankful for having had Lisa
and Harry with me through this strike
and lockout,” says Johnson. “It was
a very difficult time for all, but as
leaders, we had to rise above and
lead. We would get together and talk,
mostly to keep us sane, as no one else
understood what we were feeling. I
drew my strength from them.”
D’Abrosca agrees. “We are such
good friends. I consider myself so
fortunate to have shared last year’s
struggle with my fellow presidents.
I couldn’t imagine myself doing it
without them.”
Although only the nurses and
technicians were on strike at the
hospital, Rodriguez’s members always
showed their support during the
strike and lockout. “We don’t see
each other as nurses versus support
workers versus techs, but rather as
three locals in the same union looking
for the same thing—to ensure that
our members are well-represented,”
he says.
One of the hardest things about
three leaders working together is
finding time for everyone to meet.
But good communication has been
the key to their ability to get things
done. “It’s all about union and it’s
always ‘we.’ What can we do? How
can we do it? Then we talk to accomplish our goals,” says Rodriguez.
“We respect each other’s opinions
and are able to work cohesively
through any problems that management might toss our way. We complement each other’s strengths and
weaknesses,” says D’Abrosca.
JIM CARDIN
Manufacturing Technology
Department Head
Windham Tech High School,
Willimantic, Conn.
State Vocational Federation
of Teachers, Local 4200A
Jim Cardin and Gary Lutsky worked
in tandem for seven years. Every year,
they co-taught a group of around 35
students at Connecticut’s Windham
Technical High School. “What made
our working relationship successful is
that we were both on the same page
as far as student improvement was
concerned,” Cardin says.
In the fall of 2012, Lutsky was
diagnosed with cancer. “As soon as I
heard it was pancreatic cancer I knew
what Gary was up against,” recalls
Cardin, whose mother had died from
the same cancer.
When Lutsky was forced to take
time off for treatment, Cardin did
both his and Lutsky’s job. “Although
the stress of doing the work of two
teachers was enormous, Jim never let
the strain show to his co-workers or
students,” writes the colleague who
nominated Cardin.
Cardin was far more concerned
about the well-being of his good
friend than he was about his increased
workload. On weekends, he’d drive
other co-workers to Boston to visit
Lutsky at the hospital where he was
being treated.
When it became apparent that
Lutsky would be forced to retire, it was
Cardin who took on the responsibility
of making sure his retirement papers
were in order. “It was just something
that I knew I needed to do for Gary
and his family,” Cardin says.
With a replacement needed for
Lutsky, Cardin recruited Wayne Turner,
a friend from high school who had
recently moved back to the area. After
three days on the job, Turner had a
heart attack. Cardin immediately began
working with the union and the school
system to guarantee that Turner would
get his salary and benefits, displaying
once again what one colleague calls his
“extraordinary compassion.”
The experience and knowledge
Cardin gained as a former union rep
helped him get things done on behalf
of both Gary and Wayne. “Jim has
demonstrated that being in a union
means you are never alone,” his nominator writes.
CAROL KEISER
JIM CARDIN
AFT Public
Employees
Retired Teacher
Pawtucket, R.I.
Rhode Island Federation
of Teachers and Health
Professionals, Local 8037R
Carol Keiser spent 28 years in the
classroom, teaching special education
and elementary education. When she
retired in 1999, she wanted to remain
involved in education so she mentored
new teachers. And since she had
always been involved in the work of
the union before her retirement, she
turned her attention to her local retiree
chapter and was quickly appointed vice
president. When Keiser first joined her
chapter, there were 1,000 members;
with her help, membership has grown
to more than 2,000.
Early in her retirement, Keiser saw
a need for her colleagues to be more
aware of the benefits available to them
as retirees, so she began writing a
retiree column in the newsletter of her
former local, the Pawtucket Teachers’
Alliance. “Being available to support
retirees who have questions about
retirement is one of the best things
about what I do,” says Keiser. “This is
work I feel connected to.”
Keiser is also active in her community through her church, where she
serves as the treasurer, secretary and a
member of the community outreach
committee, as well as working in the
church soup kitchen. Her efforts were
recognized in 2004, when she was
given the Bishop Higgins Award for
“distinguished and meritorious service”
on behalf of the Episcopal Charities
Fund of Rhode Island.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 17
CAROL
KEISER
AFT
Retirees
THE AFT INNOVATION FUND:
SUPPORTING UNION-LED CHANGE
Over the past five years, the AFT Innovation Fund has invested in great ideas for
improving schools from those who know them best—educators and their unions.
More than 30 state and local affiliates of the AFT have received grants to bring
educators’ voices and ideas to educational improvement.
Thanks to this support, union
members have made a mark on
improving practitioner quality, the
implementation of the Common Core
State Standards, expanding learning
time for teachers and for students,
charter schooling, working with
communities and creating labormanagement partnerships. The results
of their efforts are available at www.
aft.org/about/innovate and on
ShareMyLesson.com.
Now, as the AFT marks the fifth
anniversary of the Innovation Fund,
delegates to the convention are being asked to approve a modest dues
increase that will create a permanent
funding source for the Innova-
tion Fund. In addition to this direct
support, the Innovation Fund will
continue to seek support from select
philanthropies.
This increase will enable the fund
to continue to provide resources to
advance the AFT’s priorities, across
all divisions, in order to reach more
affiliates.
AFT Innovation Fund Grants, 2009-2014
This map shows where the AFT Innovation Fund has made grants, by type:
Practitioner Quality
■ Anchorage Council of Education
■ Baltimore Teachers Union
■ Denver Federation for Paraprofessionals
and Nutrition Service Employees
■ Hillsborough (Fla.) Classroom
Teachers Association
■ New York State United Teachers
■ Rhode Island Federation of Teachers
and Health Professionals
■ Saint Paul Federation of Teachers
■ Toledo Federation of Teachers
■ Volusia (Fla.) Teachers Organization
18 | AFT
Common Core
State Standards
■ Albuquerque Teachers Federation
■ Boston Teachers Union
■ Cincinnati Federation of Teachers
■ Chicago Teachers Union
■ Cleveland Teachers Union
■ Jefferson County-AFT (Ala.)
■ Montana Education AssociationMontana Federation of Teachers
■ Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Public School
Teachers’ Association
■ Quincy (Ill.) Federation of Teachers
Early Childhood
■ AFT St. Louis
■ United Federation of Teachers (N.Y.)
Working with
Our Communities
■ Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
■ AFT-West Virginia and West Virginia
School Service Personnel Association
Expanded Learning Time
■ Providence Teachers Union
■ Meriden (Conn.) Federation of Teachers
Charter and
Autonomous Schools
■ Education Austin
■ Illinois Federation of Teachers
■ Minneapolis Federation of Teachers
■ San Antonio Alliance of Teachers
and Support Personnel
■ United Teachers Los Angeles
Labor-Management
Partnership
■ ABC Federation of Teachers (Calif.)
AFT MEMBERSHIP
How does a union continue to grow in the midst of school closings, a nationwide
recession, and attacks on payroll deduction, pensions and basic bargaining rights?
In the AFT’s case, it takes a deep commitment to supporting state and local affiliates,
and ensuring that organizing, member engagement and mobilization, community
engagement, and professional development opportunities for members are at the core of
the work we do.
1.2
1,358,479
1,270,062
1.3
1,312,271
1.4
1,536,684
1,466,876
1.5
1,536,132
1.6
MILLIONS
of the National Federation of Nurses,
which brought more than 34,000
registered nurses from Montana,
Ohio, Oregon and Washington into
the AFT. The affiliation makes the AFT
the second-largest union of nurses
in the country. Other significant AFT
organizing victories were won among
early childhood educators, higher education faculty and staff, and charter
school teachers. In the past two years,
the AFT has organized teachers in 40
charter schools.
Much of the credit for these
organizing successes goes to the AFT
Organizing Model and the “culture
of organizing” it has helped produce.
Adopted just a few short years ago,
the model has enhanced the organizing effectiveness of our union and
affiliates by advancing a common set
of strategic approaches, methods and
campaign practices for organizing.
The union has also continued its
commitment to organizing in nonbargaining states, with a major allocation
of resources to a project in Texas that
has already brought thousands of new
members into the AFT.
Professionals represented by the
AFT work in those institutions that are
critical to the well-being of children,
families and communities. And the
union and our members recognize
that we can’t do this work alone. In
recent years, the national union and
our affiliates have placed a premium
on identifying and working with a
diverse group of community partners.
This active support of parents, students, faith leaders, patients, civil and
labor rights activists, and others has
helped solidify our role as a union that
puts the people we represent—and
those they serve—first.
1,600,909
AFT Membership Growth
These values are a key factor in the
AFT’s impressive membership growth
over the past two years. They are also
clearly delineated in the AFT’s mission
statement: The AFT is a union that
“champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality
public education, healthcare and
public services for our students, their
families and our communities.”
The union’s forward movement
has been across constituencies, and it
has come despite major—and seemingly insurmountable—obstacles. In
many states, deep-pocketed special
interests have sought to take away the
rights and benefits of AFT members
and other working Americans—and to
demean and diminish the importance
of the work they do. Our adversaries
have called for austerity budgets and
other measures that would gut the essential services provided by members.
Even in the face of these attacks,
we have continued to move forward.
The AFT’s reputation as an advocate
for decent salaries, benefits and working conditions, and its persistent call
for high-quality schools, healthcare
and public services, have enabled the
union not just to withstand these
attacks but to become a stronger,
more visible advocate on behalf of our
members and those we serve.
As a result, educators, public employees and healthcare professionals
continue to look to the AFT to ensure
they have a meaningful role in shaping
what happens in the workplace.
Some 79 new units in 19 states
representing more than 43,000 people
have chosen AFT representation since
the last convention.
Among the most noteworthy
membership news was the affiliation
2002200420062008201020122014
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 19
SHELVY ABRAMS
MARY ARMSTRONG
BARBARA BOWEN
LINDA BRIDGES
ELSIE BURKHALTER
STACEY
CARUSO-SHARPE
FRANCIS FLYNN
ANDY FORD
DENNIS KELLY
SUSAN KENT
DANIEL
MONTGOMERY
MICHAEL MULGREW
MARY CATHRYN
RICKER
STEPHEN ROONEY
AFT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The AFT executive council has spent the last
two years responding to the challenges facing
the union—and the frequent attacks on our
members—and putting forth a forward-looking
agenda designed to both sustain and improve the
services that members provide.
Meeting the challenge
The council has adopted policies and programs to address a
host of issues. These include unproven education reforms, harmful school closings, funding cuts
that would gut essential public
services, the misuse of contingent
faculty, the skyrocketing tuitions
that are putting college out of
reach, attempts to undermine
our nation’s healthcare system
with for-profit hospitals, and
other misguided efforts.
Throughout this period,
members’ needs have remained
paramount. Led by the council, the union and our affiliates
have taken on multiple threats
to members. We have stood
up against efforts to dismantle
bargaining rights, assaults on
retirement security and attempts
to diminish the critical contributions made by our members—to
name a few.
The Reclaiming the Promise
initiative has been our union’s direct response to these challenges,
uniting our voices against those
who pursue an agenda of austerity, polarization, privatization and
20 | AFT
deprofessionalization. Reclaiming
the Promise has increased our
focus on organizing and member
engagement, and stepped up our
efforts to communicate directly
with members and those they
serve through the use of our
print and digital outlets, as well
as through the general media.
The council has also continued to prioritize our active
engagement with parents, faith
leaders, elected officials and
others in the community—those
who share our vision of an equitable society where all children
receive a high-quality education and all citizens have access
to essential public services and
healthcare.
As part of its deliberations,
the AFT executive council has
condemned the fixation on testing, supported efforts to reform
our broken immigration system,
adopted policies to ensure
the thoughtful—rather than
rushed—implementation of the
Common Core State Standards,
and guided the national union’s
political and legislative agendas.
KATHY CHAVEZ
LEE CUTLER
DAVID GRAY
DAVID HECKER
TED KIRSCH
FREDERICK KOWAL
MARIA NEIRA
RUBY NEWBOLD
SANDRA SCHROEDER
DENISE SPECHT
EDWARD DOHERTY
KATHLEEN DONAHUE
MARIETTA ENGLISH
ERIC FEAVER
FEDRICK INGRAM
KEITH JOHNSON
JERRY JORDAN
KAREN GJ LEWIS
KAREN MAGEE
LOUIS MALFARO
JOHN McDONALD
CANDICE OWLEY
ANDREW PALLOTTA
JOSHUA PECHTHALT
DAVID QUOLKE
TIM STOELB
ANN TWOMEY
ADAM URBANSKI
RICHARD IANNUZZI
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 21
HOW THE COUNCIL WORKS
The AFT executive council meets periodically by AFT constitutional mandate to “deal
with all the affairs of the federation in the period between conventions.” The AFT
council consists of the president, secretary-treasurer, executive vice president and
43 vice presidents, who are elected every two years.
Council duties, responsibilities and committees
The council’s duties include
adopting the AFT budget; granting
state and local charters; approving
contributions to community and labor
organizations and campaigns; approving appointments to AFT task forces,
commissions and standing committees; approving financial assistance
for defense cases; and approving new
AFT benefit programs. The council
also addresses proposals for constitutional amendments and policy resolutions to be considered by delegates at
the AFT convention.
In addition to handling the union’s
routine business, the council discusses
all matters that relate to the welfare
of AFT members and to the institutions in which they work, and the
body adopts policy between AFT
conventions.
Council responsibilities also
include investigating affiliates, ruling
on local reinstatements and considering locals’ requests for assistance.
The council receives reports of staff
activities, ranging from lobbying efforts to organizing campaigns. It also
has oversight of the AFT Educational
Foundation and the Albert Shanker
Institute.
A number of committees make
policy recommendations to the
executive council, and the executive
committee meets between sessions
to take action that is subject to the
approval of the whole council. Those
committees are:
■ Executive Committee
■ Audit Committee
■ Constitutional Amendments
and Convention Committee
22 | AFT
■ COPE Committee
■ Defense Committee and
Militancy Fund Trustees
■ Democracy Committee
■ Human Rights and
Community Relations
Committee
■ Member Benefits Committee
The AFT executive council also has
standing committees that represent
constituencies or special concerns
within the organization. They include:
AFT Advisory Committee on
State Federations, which explores
ways to help state federations become stronger as events at the state
level have increasing impact on AFT
members and locals.
Committee on Civil and Human
Rights, which guides the union’s
efforts to develop and strengthen
relationships with organizations that
work for educational, social and
economic justice. Focusing on the
issues that affect our society’s most
disenfranchised communities, the
committee helps move members to
take action in support of local and
national legislation and campaigns
related to women, communities of
color, the LGBTQ community, public
education and labor.
Committee on Retirement and
Retirees, which serves as a voice
within the union for retired AFT members and provides a clearinghouse for
information on retirement issues.
Organizing Committee, which
explores strategies on how the union
can organize new members within
our current constituencies as well as
potential membership in new categories of workers.
Women’s Rights Committee,
which tracks women’s issues and
keeps members updated on relevant
laws and legislative trends.
The program and policy councils of
each AFT division are: Teachers,
PSRP, Higher Education, Public
Employees and Healthcare/RN.
AFT SOLIDARITY FUND
Income and Distribution of Funds since 2012 AFT Convention (May 1, 2012 – April 30, 2014)
The Solidarity Fund was created in 2002 to help states counter initiatives and campaigns that seek
to weaken public education and public services, bargaining rights, and hard-earned benefits such as
healthcare and retirement security. The Solidarity Fund receives money through an allocation from
a specific portion of dues set aside for the fund, and that allocation is shared between the national
union and state affiliates.
TOTAL AMOUNT RECEIVED FOR AFT NATIONAL SOLIDARITY FUND: TOTAL DISBURSEMENT FROM AFT NATIONAL SOLIDARITY FUND: BALANCE OF AFT NATIONAL SOLIDARITY FUND (through APRIL 30, 2014):
$22,070,499
$13,968,751
$24,793,482
Disbursements from National Solidarity Fund
American Federation of Teachers
Resources were provided for the AFT’s legislative
mobilization and political mobilization campaigns
during the 2012, 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions and elections. These activities included, but
were not limited to, the AFT’s and labor’s memberto-member programs, independent expenditures,
community coalition building and engagement,
education and mobilization of the general public,
redistricting activities, state and local affiliates’ federal and state legislative fights, and union efforts
related to state ballot initiatives and referenda.
$9,705,700
California Federation of Teachers
Funding was provided to assist a CFT-led coalition’s
effort to qualify its proposed millionaire’s tax as an
initiative on the November 2012 ballot. This effort
ultimately resulted in the coalition and Gov. Jerry
Brown working together to place a revised revenue initiative on the ballot. The initiative passed,
resulting in billions per year being added to the
state budget.
$700,000
California Federation of Teachers
Support was provided to defeat a state ballot
initiative proposed by anti-labor groups that would
have prohibited the collection of political money
through payroll deduction. The CFT, working with
a labor-based coalition and the California Labor
Federation, was able to defeat the measure.
$1,000,000
Florida Education Association
Support was provided to the FEA’s anti-TABOR
(Taxpayer Bill of Rights) campaign. Amendment
3 would have replaced existing state revenue
limitations based on Florida personal income
growth with a new state growth limitation based
on inflation and population changes. The measure
was defeated.
$750,000
Illinois Federation of Teachers
Support was provided for the IFT to mount a
strong media campaign urging Illinois voters to
reject a proposed state constitutional amendment (HJRCA 49) that would have raised the
vote threshold needed to increase retirement and
pension benefits for Illinois public employees. The
measure was defeated.
$70,000
AFT-Maryland
Support was provided to assist AFT-Maryland in its
2012 campaign to defend the Maryland DREAM
Act. The measure was successful.
$100,000
AFT-Maryland
In Question 6, a referendum on the 2012 November ballot, Marylanders were asked to support
the Civil Marriage Protection Act. The successful
campaign to win Question 6 resulted in Maryland
being the first state in the nation to affirm marriage equality on the ballot.
$100,000
AFT Michigan
Support was provided to AFT Michigan, working in coalition with other labor-based groups, to
amend the state constitution to protect collective bargaining. The ballot initiative would have
established the right of the people to organize
together to form, join or assist labor organizations
and to bargain collectively with a public or private
employer through an exclusive representative of
the employees’ choosing. This campaign was not
successful.
$1,000,000
AFT Michigan
Support was provided to AFT Michigan to defeat
Proposal 5, a constitutional amendment that
would require a supermajority of a two-thirds vote
of both the state House and Senate, or a vote of
the people, before any state tax could be enacted
or raised, or the rate or base of taxation increased.
Funds were used to support grass-roots organizing, earned and social media, as well as specific
“No on 5” ads on TV and radio. This campaign
was not successful.
$225,000
MEA-MFT (Montana)
With National Solidarity Fund support, MEA-MFT
organized and led a coalition, Montanans for
Fiscal Accountability, to fight LR 123, a legislative
referendum for a mandatory tax rebate that would
have crippled Montana’s ability to fund public
education and public services. The coalition was
successful in its efforts, and LR 123 was removed
from the ballot. MEA-MFT also took the lead in
organizing Montanans for Free and Fair Elections
and successfully removed LR 127 from the ballot.
This referendum would have established a top-two
primary system, ending the traditional primary
system.
$168,051
AFT-Oregon
Support was provided to AFT-Oregon to promote
Constitutional Initiative 35 in order to reform the
existing corporate tax rebate, known as the “corporate kicker,” and put more money into Oregon’s
K-12 classrooms instead of into large out-of-state
corporations. Oregon’s unique “kicker” required
that when actual biennial state revenues exceeded
the state economist’s forecast by more than 2 percent, corporations received money back on taxes
they owed. This measure was successful.
$150,000
TOTAL MONIES DISBURSED FROM
THE NATIONAL SOLIDARITY FUND:
$13,968,751
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 23
AFT SOLIDARITY FUND
Income and Distribution of Funds since 2012 AFT Convention (May 1, 2012 – April 30, 2014)
Under the AFT bylaws and state finance laws, where applicable, state affiliates receiving funds are required to establish separate holding accounts for those funds, as well as separate accounts from which
the funds would be disbursed. Affiliates also are required to obtain a written legal opinion verifying that
their use of their Solidarity Funds is in compliance with all applicable state and local laws. All states that
have asked to participate in the fund have provided written assurance through counsel that they have
met those requirements.
TOTAL FUNDS DISBURSED TO STATE AFFILIATE SOLIDARITY FUNDS: $13,961,339
Disbursements from State Affiliate Solidarity Funds
Affiliates that have reported spending from their Solidarity Funds in support of activities of critical importance to
members, and the amounts spent, are listed below.
Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT
$40,711
The APEA/AFT has used its Solidarity Fund to increase member involvement
and mobilization efforts around important anti-labor issues such as “right to
work,” vouchers and privatization. Specifically, APEA/AFT stopped legislation
that would have allowed public money to be transferred to private schools,
and it also stopped privatization of union health trusts. Pro-labor governing
bodies in Anchorage and Fairbanks were also elected. Other funds are being
held in reserve for upcoming federal, state and local elections, and several
important initiatives and referenda.
Arizona Federation of Teachers
$3,333
The Arizona Federation of Teachers has used its Solidarity Fund to work
in coalition with the Labor Unity Table to successfully defeat legislation on
“paycheck deception,” private school vouchers, pension plans and limiting
the ability of retired teachers to continue teaching. Funds also contributed to
establishing the Arizona Retirement Security Coalition—a new coalition of
public employee unions and national groups, such as the AARP—to educate
members and the public on threats to current defined benefit pension plans.
Contributions were also made to various other coalition groups. Member
education and recruitment efforts resulted in new growth within the affiliate.
California Federation of Teachers
$811,365
The California Federation of Teachers used its Solidarity Fund to fund a successful 2012 campaign to pass Proposition 30, a voter initiative to raise taxes
on the wealthiest Californians and add a modest quarter-cent sales tax, resulting in an end to seven years of state budget cuts. Other efforts addressed
important issues such as local parcel tax initiatives, funding for schools and
colleges, local revenue measures and statewide healthcare initiatives.
AFT Colorado
$79,234
AFT Colorado has used its Solidarity Fund to expand member-to-member mobilization efforts and to support pro-labor and pro-public education measures.
Through participation in coalitions, they were able to stop legislative and
ballot measure attacks, and to elect a friendly state House and Senate.
AFT Connecticut
$462,547
AFT Connecticut has used its Solidarity Fund to expand community outreach
and grass-roots coalitions to shape the dialogue on education reform legisla-
24 | AFT
tion and hospital legislation, and address issues such as high unemployment,
income inequality and mental health. An important contribution was made
to help fund the Sandy Hook Workers Assistance Fund, providing support
to volunteer and professional workers suffering from mental health issues
as a result of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., that are not currently
covered by traditional workers’ compensation.
Florida Education Association
$612,193
The Florida Education Association’s Solidarity Fund was used to fund extensive
public and member polling and research on issues of importance to Florida’s
public education system, such as teacher pay, vouchers, standardized testing
and curriculum, as well as public employee retirement benefits. Contributions
were made to partner organizations for shared work on these issues.
Georgia Federation of Teachers
$84,705
The Georgia Federation of Teachers used its Solidarity Fund to support local
candidates who worked to further pro-labor issues, and to educate members about and increase mobilization efforts opposing HR 1162, the Charter
School Amendment. Although the amendment ultimately passed, the GFT
has built capacity and awareness through its efforts.
Illinois Federation of Teachers
$2,970,866
The Illinois Federation of Teachers used its Solidarity Fund to help fund Illinois
Freedom PAC and Chicagoans United for Economic Security, labor-based
independent expenditure campaigns supporting Democratic candidates for
governor and the General Assembly. Contributions were also made to coalition groups in support of a progressive tax initiative to avoid projected budget
cuts and to support efforts to implement and comply with the Affordable
Care Act.
Indiana Federation of Teachers
$63,870
The Indiana Federation of Teachers used its Solidarity Fund to make contributions to local candidates, caucuses and state parties, and for member communication and engagement activities, including fliers, lobby day activities
and training opportunities related to collective bargaining and the teacher
evaluation process. They were successful in electing a pro-education, proteacher superintendent of public instruction.
AFT Kansas
$57,825
AFT Kansas used its funds to fight a number of well-funded anti-labor initiatives: collective bargaining, payroll deduction and various public employee
issues. Funds were also used to work in partnership with Keeping the Kansas
Promise and the National Public Pension Coalition to defeat efforts to replace
public employee pensions with a defined contribution plan.
Louisiana Federation of Teachers
$149,906
The Louisiana Federation of Teachers has used its Solidarity Fund to fund
coalition efforts to expand member and public awareness of its commitment
to reclaim and defend the promise of public education, and to defeat efforts
to eliminate payroll deduction and reduce public employee pension benefits.
These successful efforts also helped end a five-year freeze on public school
funding.
AFT-Maryland
$78,664
AFT-Maryland used its resources to promote a collective bargaining referendum in Ocean City and fight unfavorable legislative initiatives by the Baltimore
county executive. Several of these efforts are still pending, and others were not
successful. Funds were also used for member education and mobilization.
AFT Massachusetts
$311,762
The AFT Massachusetts Solidarity Fund has been used in support of organizations that promote public schools and libraries, and to improve working
conditions such as raising the minimum wage and granting sick leave to all
workers. Organizations that AFT Massachusetts worked with include Raise
Up Massachusetts, Emerge Massachusetts, Citizens for Public Schools and
the Massachusetts branch of Jobs with Justice.
AFT Michigan
$286,187
AFT Michigan has used its Solidarity Fund to build union capacity, increase
community involvement, expand member education and develop advocacy through narrative, in the midst of extremely anti-union rhetoric and
well-funded anti-labor campaigns. AFT Michigan joined faith-based groups,
other unions and local community organizations to face attacks on collective
bargaining, payroll deduction and other legislative and policy issues. In spite
of repeated defeats, AFT Michigan member involvement has increased and
members have taken the lead in rewriting AFT Michigan legislative and policy
platforms, developing strategies to support public education and collective
bargaining rights, and carrying out a successful dues recommit plan.
Education Minnesota
$242,024
Education Minnesota has used its Solidary Fund in support of coalition work
and successful lobbying efforts on the budget bill, minimum wage, safe
schools, anti-bullying legislation, tax increases on the wealthiest Minnesotans, as well as to pay for polling and online ads. Education Minnesota has
also spent funds on training, building capacity and member mobilization programs, and has increased grants to locals who invest in their local campaigns,
school board races and mobilization efforts.
Mississippi AFT
$5,000
AFT Mississippi has used its Solidarity Fund for contributions to its endorsed
local candidates.
AFT Missouri
$21,843
AFT Missouri has used its Solidarity Fund to successfully lobby, in coalition
with other labor organizations, against “right to work,” “paycheck deception,” and attacks on prevailing wage in the state Legislature. AFT Missouri
also used funds to assist with legislative fights for transfer laws, public
services and expanded access to healthcare, and to help their local affiliates
with legislative and political activities.
MEA-MFT (Montana)
$41,956
The MEA-MFT has used its Solidarity Fund to become a state leader in coalition work to oppose ballot measures that would harm funding for public
schools and public services. It led coalitions to fight LR 123 (mandatory tax
rebate) and LR 127 (a top-two primary), both of which were removed from
the ballot. The fight in 2014 will be to defeat LR 126 (to abolish Election
Day voter registration). The MEA-MFT has also supported local affiliates with
legislative and political activities, thus empowering local unions to increase
their influence and organizing abilities.
AFT-New Hampshire
$19,470
AFT-New Hampshire has used its Solidarity Fund working with coalition
partners to successfully defeat “right-to-work” legislation in two legislative sessions, and also to defeat several legislative attempts to erode collective bargaining rights in New Hampshire and to maintain funding levels for K-12 public
schools. AFT-NH worked to increase transparency in charter schools and was
part of a coalition that successfully sued the state to overturn the Education Tax
Credit Program that provides money to religious schools.
AFT New Jersey
$485,991
AFT New Jersey has used its Solidarity Fund to participate in a number of
important labor-based and community coalitions in order to be more visible
and more viable within the state. Successful ballot measures included higher
education bond law in 2012 and a minimum wage ballot initiative in 2013.
AFTNJ is working in a coalition to pass paid sick leave in the state Legislature.
Funds have also strengthened member education and mobilization efforts.
Health Professionals and Allied Employees (New Jersey)
$94,647
The Health Professionals and Allied Employees has used its Solidarity Fund
to promote its strategic plan, which has four main points of focus: fighting
for safe staffing standards, limiting the expansion of for-profit healthcare,
responding to healthcare reform and protecting workplace rights. Efforts
included community outreach, member and community education, and participation in coalition groups such as New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey
Work Environment Council, Working Families United for New Jersey and the
New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute.
AFT New Mexico
$136,420
AFT New Mexico has used its Solidarity Fund to become more involved in
community outreach programs, member education and mobilization, support
for locals’ efforts to increase member participation in legislative and political
activities, and contributions to endorsed candidates and coalitions working
on behalf of members’ concerns. AFT New Mexico also used its Solidarity
Fund for a legal challenge to the state teacher evaluation system.
New York State United Teachers
$3,606,350
New York State United Teachers has used a large portion of its Solidarity Fund to coordinate a statewide “One Voice United” rally that brought
thousands to Albany to take a stand for public education. It has also used
the fund to support members’ interests through the media: television, radio,
mailings, and online and print ads. In addition, funds were used to keep
SUNY Downstate Medical Center a public hospital. NYSUT also funded
grants to its locals and to coalition partners.
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 25
New York State Public Employees Federation $23,470
The Public Employees Federation directed use of its Solidarity Fund to an ad
campaign to inform members and the public about the governor’s proposal
to allow new businesses to lease land on SUNY campuses and private colleges and universities without paying taxes of any kind for 10 years. In spite
of the campaign, the governor’s measure was passed.
North Dakota Public Employees Association/
North Dakota United
$56,116
The North Dakota Public Employees Association spent $52,971 in support
of the coalition Keep It Local, which successfully opposed elimination of the
property tax. Since its formation Sept. 1, 2013, North Dakota United has
used an additional $3,145 of its Solidarity Fund to lay the foundation for
UPAC, NDU’s political action committee, and for efforts to build capacity
within the new affiliate.
Ohio Federation of Teachers
$300,000
The Ohio Federation of Teachers focused the use of its Solidarity Fund on participation in community and labor-based coalitions to promote healthcare and
public education, and to educate members about the importance of revenue
and taxes, as well as pensions. Funds were also spent for media and lobbying
efforts relevant to these issues and to strengthen parent engagement efforts
in Cleveland. The OFT successfully protected the city pensions in Cincinnati by
working in coalition with the local union and other groups, and helped three
pro-public education members get elected to the state board of education.
AFT-Oklahoma
$24,663
AFT-Oklahoma has used its Solidarity Fund for contributions to endorsed
candidates at the state and local levels, and to coalitions, such as Restore
Oklahoma, in support of public education.
AFT-Oregon
$354,522
AFT-Oregon has used its Solidarity Fund to educate and mobilize members on
political and legislative issues and to elect pro-labor, progressive candidates to
state and local offices. In 2012, as a result, the Oregon House of Representatives moved from 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats to Democratic control
with 34 Democrats and 26 Republicans. Solidarity funds were also used
to support the Oregon Labor Candidate School and AFT-Oregon members
running for school board. In 2014, AFT-Oregon used its Solidarity Fund to
help elect a pro-labor candidate who is an Oregon Nurses Association staff
member, in one of the most highly contested primaries in the state.
AFT Pennsylvania
$585,002
AFT Pennsylvania has used its Solidarity Fund to support locals fighting ongoing legislative threats to public education, seniority, collective bargaining and
pensions. Efforts have been made to increase member education and internal
communication, and to build capacity to support legislative and community
outreach. These efforts, in coalition with other groups, were successful in
stopping “paycheck deception,” although it may come up again.
Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals $136,824
The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals used its
Solidarity Fund to build a stronger and more effective political and legislative
program through member communication and mobilization. Working with
labor-based coalition groups and community allies, RIFTHP has developed a
campaign to raise awareness and mobilize members on legislative issues such
as restoring funding to the developmentally disabled community, protecting
pension benefits and promoting tax equity. Funds were contributed to a coali-
26 | AFT
tion opposed to convening a constitutional convention, which was expected
to be unfavorable to member concerns, and funds were also used to support
members in the aftermath of the school shooting tragedy in Newtown, Conn.
Texas AFT
$492,998
Texas AFT used its Solidarity Fund to expand political communication with
members and the public to increase engagement for member and ally
mobilization, candidate endorsement and participation in lobbying days. At
a rally at the state Capitol in March 2013, its turnout far exceeded any other
teacher organization’s, and it reported unprecedented online activity as well.
Texas AFT also was able to increase matching grants to locals and work with
allied organizations on education funding, policy and employment issues.
United Professions AFT Vermont
$26,279
United Professions AFT Vermont used its Solidarity Fund to promote member
engagement in local legislative activities and to improve community outreach. Coalition efforts included support for the Vermont Workers’ Center on
issues involving higher education, healthcare and the Early Childhood Educators campaign. Their efforts resulted in passing S. 316, giving early childhood
educators the right to organize.
AFT Washington
$74,823
AFT Washington used its Solidarity Fund to improve member education
and communication in support of endorsed candidates, important ballot
measures and legislative activities. AFT Washington also partnered with Win/
Win Network, a critical component of the Washington State Voices Table, to
strengthen ties with other progressive labor organizations.
AFT-West Virginia
$67,290
AFT-West Virginia used its Solidarity Fund to expand and improve support for
affiliate programs, legislative action and community outreach. Contributions
were made to the Reconnecting McDowell partnership, drug prevention
programs, disaster relief funds and programs to support at-risk students.
AFT-West Virginia partnered with labor-based organizations and community
groups that support public education and protect workers’ rights.
AFT-Wisconsin
$64,100
AFT-Wisconsin used its Solidarity Fund to participate in various coalition
groups, such as Emerge Wisconsin, We Are Wisconsin, Wisconsin Progress,
Voces de la Frontera and others. It also focused on candidate recruitment at
the local and state levels, voter turnout, member education, and communication with the public about higher education, minimum wage, voter suppression laws, and privatization of public schools and services.
Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals
$25,241
The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals used its Solidarity Fund to develop and strengthen member communication, mobilization
and research activity to educate members about issues of importance to the
healthcare community. Coalition groups extended outreach to the community about critical problems such as banning mandatory overtime, safe staffing ratios and safe patient handling. Efforts were also focused on electing
endorsed candidates and supporting legislation such as the Affordable Care
Act and the statewide Quality Care Agenda. A very successful lobby day at
the Capitol also highlighted these issues for the community.
TOTAL MONIES DISBURSED FROM STATE AFFILIATE
SOLIDARITY FUNDS: $12,898,197
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO
BALANCE SHEET
December 31, 2013
Unaudited
MILITANCY/
DEFENSE
FUND
GENERAL
FUND
ASSETS
BUILDING
FUND
POSTRETIREMENT
BENEFITS
FUND
SOLIDARITY
FUND*
TOTAL
Current assets
Cash (including short-term investments)
Per capita and fees from affiliates receivable
Other receivables
Prepaid expenses
Total current assets
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net
$
(367,502) $ 20,746,696 $
3,440 $
41,792 $
0 $ 20,424,426
29,594,563
215,801
109,344
—
—
29,919,708
2,931,854
135,030
—
—
—
3,066,884
575,653
—
—
—
—
575,653
32,734,568
21,097,527
112,784
41,792
0
53,986,671
3,011,635
0
0
0
0
3,011,635
Other assets
4,067,946
2,421,774
—
0
0
6,489,720
Israel bonds, at cost
Loans to affiliates, net
—
300,000
—
—
—
300,000
Investment in limited partnership
—
—
35,390,821
—
—
35,390,821
(13,473,325)
(11,419,695)
(1,920,749)
26,813,769
—
—
0
0
0
(2,399,754)
—
(2,399,754)
(9,405,379)
(8,697,921)
33,470,072
24,414,015
0
39,780,787
Due (to)/from other funds
Accrual to cash adjustment
Total other assets
TOTAL ASSETS
$ 26,340,824 $ 12,399,606 $ 33,582,856 $ 24,455,807 $
0 $ 96,779,093
$ 11,529,793 $
0 $ 14,503,118
LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCES
Current liabilities
Accounts payable
Affiliation fees payable
Post-retirement – Health and life current
Post-retirement – Accrued officer defined-benefit current
2,973,325 $
0 $
0 $
1,551,881
—
—
—
—
1,551,881
—
—
—
—
481,000
481,000
—
—
—
—
710,177
710,177
State collections and rebates payable
1,017,960
—
—
—
—
1,017,960
Assistance payable to state and local federations
2,396,957
—
—
—
—
2,396,957
Accrued other
29,759
1,000,000
3,399
—
—
1,033,158
Advance per capita taxes and fees
36,980
968
—
—
—
37,948
Other deferred revenue
Total current liabilities
192,359
—
—
—
—
192,359
16,755,689
3,974,293
3,399
0
1,191,177
21,924,558
10,050,575
0
0
0
0
10,050,575
Other liabilities
Severance and vacation pay
Post Retirement – Accrued medical and life insurance
—
—
—
—
20,096,346
20,096,346
Post Retirement – Accrued officer defined-benefit plan
—
—
—
—
11,268,339
11,268,339
10,050,575
0
0
0
31,364,685
41,415,260
(465,440)
8,425,313
33,579,457
24,455,807
(32,555,862)
33,439,275
Total other liabilities
Fund balances
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCES
*
$ 26,340,824 $ 12,399,606 $ 33,582,856 $ 24,455,807 $
0 $ 96,779,093
Solidarity Fund reports on a cash basis
STATE OF THE UNION 2012–2014 | 27
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO
STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSES
Six Months
Unaudited
Dec. 31, 2013
Program
Budget
2013–2014
GENERAL FUND
INCOME
Per capita dues
Less Militancy/Defense Fund allocation
Less Building Fund allocation
General Fund per capita
Less state federation rebate
Net General Fund per capita
State AFL-CIO collections
Subscriptions, advertising and literature
Program administration
Member Benefit Trust/Union Privilege
Grants and related company reimbursements
Other
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENSES
Administrative expenses
Affiliations, fund allocations, rebates, etc
Communications
Community
Funding our priorities
Governance and operations
Knowledge and ideas
Mobilization and organizing
Politics, legislation and collective bargaining
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET EXCESS/(DEFICIT) OF INCOME
OVER EXPENSES
MILITANCY/DEFENSE FUND
$ 76,773,646 $ 159,975,848
(1,534,666)
(3,507,000)
(475,180)
(1,002,000)
74,763,800
155,466,848
(575,438)
(1,932,000)
74,188,362
153,534,848
598,341
1,292,167
36,767
115,000
923,355
1,800,000
—
350,000
1,021,014
2,130,320
49,635
283,832
$ 76,817,474 $ 159,506,167
$ 35,125,152
15,468,372
1,640,783
759,135
9,226,041
2,130,972
2,847,446
11,247,542
4,073,498
$ 82,518,941
GENERAL FUND
28 | AFT
$ 69,275,341
31,440,266
4,910,708
1,018,604
19,000,000
3,374,525
5,535,075
22,496,039
6,218,684
$ 163,269,242
$ (5,701,467) $ (3,763,075)
Audited
June 30, 2013
INCOME
Per capita dues
Less Militancy/Defense Fund allocation
Less Building Fund allocation
General Fund per capita
Less state federation rebate
Net General Fund per capita
State AFL-CIO collections
Subscriptions, advertising and literature
Program administration
Member Benefit Trust/Union Privilege
Gain/loss on investment in SML JV
Grants and related company
reimbursements
Other
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENSES
Administrative expenses
Affiliations, fund allocations, rebates, etc
Communications
Community
Funding our priorities
Governance and operations
Knowledge and ideas
Mobilization and organizing
Politics, legislation and collective
bargaining
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET EXCESS/(DEFICIT) OF INCOME
OVER EXPENSES
Unaudited
Audited
Dec. 31, 2013 June 30, 2013
$ 151,454,300
(2,598,484)
(962,401)
$ 147,893,415
(1,866,091)
$ 146,027,324
1,360,255
322,010
2,599,907
835,129
(85,378)
1,728,772
757,935
$ 153,545,954
65,537,591
29,196,628
5,518,182
1,093,393
11,156,798
6,280,592
4,865,161
22,286,458
8,897,129
$ 154,831,932
$ (1,285,978)
INCOME
Per capita
Locals insurance
Investment revenue and market adjustment
Other
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENSES
Professional fees
Locals insurance
Other
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET EXCESS/(DEFICIT) OF INCOME
OVER EXPENSES
$
$
$
1,534,666
866,483
198,387
21,426
2,620,962
$
719,709
1,242,773
26,857
1,989,339
$
631,623
$
$
$
$
2,598,484
1,884,955
1,646,659
864
6,130,962
6,419,686
2,071,876
13,852
8,505,414
$ (2,374,452)
Unaudited
Audited
Dec. 31, 2013 June 30, 2013
SOLIDARITY FUND
INCOME
Per Capita
Transfer from General Fund LIC
to 527 Solidarity
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENSES
Grants to State Solidarity funds
Ballot initiatives and campaign expenses
527 Solidarity Fund
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET EXCESS/(DEFICIT) OF INCOME
OVER EXPENSES
$
8,873,613
$ 16,064,617
120,000
8,993,613
$
$
$
$
5,247,477
1,200,047
880,329
7,327,853
6,903,678
7,446,716
995,203
$ 15,345,597
$
1,665,760
$
$
28,173
16,092,790
747,193
Unaudited
Audited
Dec. 31, 2013 June 30, 2013
BUILDING FUND
INCOME
Per capita
Rent
Equity in income of limited partnership
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENSES
Rent
Other
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET EXCESS/(DEFICIT) OF INCOME
OVER EXPENSES
$
$
$
$
$
475,180 $
214,675
—
689,855 $
962,401
(70,153)
—
892,248
79,615 $
—
79,615 $
(11,314)
—
(11,314)
610,240
$
903,562
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