American Federation of Teachers

Jul 13

aflcio:
“Here’s what @richardtrumka thinks of Scott Walker entering the 2016 Presidential race
”

aflcio:

Here’s what @richardtrumka thinks of Scott Walker entering the 2016 Presidential race

Jul 10

Scott Walker’s Score Board

yougotschooled2016:

Scott Walker is running for president. Are we shocked? Probably not. What is shocking, is that after his track record running Wisconsin this man thinks he should be left in charge of the entire country. It might have something to do with the Koch confidence boost he’s been given. His last name might not be Bush, but that doesn’t mean that rich, white dudes (e.g., Charles and David Koch) won’t dictate his every move in a throwback to the Bush-Cheney years.

Now we could sit here and tell you what a jerk he is (who has that kind of time?), but instead we want to show you the negative effects Scott Walker has had on Wisconsin, and who’s paying the price for it.

To make this story even more interesting, let’s compare Scott Walker’s Wisconsin with its next-door neighbor Minnesota. It’s a tale of two states: Both economies grew from foundations in manufacturing, farming and mining, with strong histories of organized labor. Then came the 2010 elections. Both states, still reeling from the recession, elected new governors. Those two governors took these two states down two very different paths. No need to keep score at home, we’ll do that for you.

Today, Minnesota’s unemployment rate is 3.6 percent—far below the national rate of 5.7 percent—while Wisconsin’s job growth has been among the worst in the region and its income growth has been among the worst in the nation. Also, when Scott Walker said, “We showed that when we say ‘Wisconsin is open for business,’ we mean it,” the operative word was show. Last we checked, as soon as Wisconsin passed “right to work,” this 100-year-old Wisconsin company decided to move to Minnesota.

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Since his election, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton turned his state’s budget deficit into a projected surplus of nearly $2 billion. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has swollen his state’s budget deficit to a projected $2 billion.

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Meanwhile, Gov. Dayton has boosted the minimum wage, invested in public education and higher education, pushed for universal pre-K and supported workers’ rights. And, Minnesota has the most union members of any state in the Midwest.

And Walker? He has continuously slashed funding to public schools, is about to do it again, is dismantling the state’s public university system and has refused early education grants. And earlier this year, he signed a bill that makes Wisconsin the 25th so-called right to work state, which research shows, contrary to the hype, drives down wages and destroys good jobs. Why? To eviscerate Wisconsin’s labor unions (bring it, ISIS).

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We’ve got news for you, Scott Walker: Trickle-down economics doesn’t work for the majority of us, and frankly, it never has—it’s only great for rich people. We want a healthy middle class, and we need a different approach that begins with a high-quality public education that gives future generations the skills they need to get good jobs with fair wages, helping everyone climb the ladder of opportunity. And you say you want that too:

What has made America amazing has been the fact that throughout our history, throughout the more than 200 years of our history, there have been men and women of courage who stood up and decided it was more important to look out for the future of their children and their grandchildren than their own political futures.

Scott Walker, June 5, 2012

However, Scotty (Can we call you that? Whatever.), a crucial step in this equation is to enable more workers to form and join unions. If you want a strong middle class, then you can’t take out the unions that built it. If you want a job where your chances of dying are lower, unions help! If you want good jobs with higher wages, then workers need a voice. And you, sir, are not that voice for Wisconsin and should never be that voice for this country.

Game over.

Jul 09

think-progress:
“A historic vote
”

think-progress:

A historic vote

Jul 08

“Union-made” has new meaning as higher education faculty and staff mark their work. We especially like this stamp, “Graded by Union Labor,” from the AFT-AAUP local at Rutgers University.

“Union-made” has new meaning as higher education faculty and staff mark their work. We especially like this stamp, “Graded by Union Labor,” from the AFT-AAUP local at Rutgers University.

Jul 07

yougotschooled2016:
“It’s going down, I’m yelling “federal investigation!”In a new campaign video, Jeb Bush tried to emphasize his “education governor” credibility by visiting school classrooms. Eagle-eyed reporting by Buzzfeed noted that “[a]lmost...

yougotschooled2016:

It’s going down, I’m yelling “federal investigation!”

In a new campaign video, Jeb Bush tried to emphasize his “education governor” credibility by visiting school classrooms. Eagle-eyed reporting by Buzzfeed noted that “[a]lmost all of the classrooms have something in common: they are operated by Academica, the state’s largest for-profit charter school management company.”

Academica is under federal investigation (little help, JB?). Academica has at least two Florida legislators on its payroll, as well as one in the CEO’s family. Academica controls more than $115 million in South Florida real estate and charges its schools steep rental fees.

Wouldn’t a candidate for president want to steer away this kind of controversy? Apparently, Academica’s record of cashing in on kids and buying political influence dovetails nicely with Bush’s vision for “public” education in the USA.

Also, Bush was probably eager to trade more jokes with rapper, charter booster, and recipient of an honorary degree from Academica’s unaccredited college, Pitbull, in the video shoot’s green room.

Jul 01

Get me out! Of student debt, that is. The AFT is spreading the word that public service workers often can have their loans forgiven completely—and many others can reduce their debt load with loan consolidation and income-based repayment. All the info...

Get me out! Of student debt, that is. The AFT is spreading the word that public service workers often can have their loans forgiven completely—and many others can reduce their debt load with loan consolidation and income-based repayment. All the info is laid out on forgivemystudentdebt.org, a website pulled together by Jobs with Justice and the Student Labor Action Project. These activist organizations also have organized workshops, clinics and trainings that AFT locals are offering widely. Learn more.

Jun 30

yougotschooled2016:
“ New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to no one’s surprise, finally announced he was running for president today. Governor Christie is known for being outspoken and unapologetic (read: a total bully), but he thinks he is exactly...

yougotschooled2016:

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, to no one’s surprise, finally announced he was running for president today. Governor Christie is known for being outspoken and unapologetic (read: a total bully), but he thinks he is exactly what America needs.

In our own effort to #TellItLikeItIs (yes, that’s his real hashtag), we think Gov. Christie is more suited for the Jersey Shore than the White House. Remember the good ole days when GTL stood for gym, tan, laundry? Not anymore.

Keep reading

A pending Supreme Court case seeks to limit the freedom of teachers, nurses, firefighters, first responders and other public employees to come together and advocate for better public services and better communities. Read a joint labor statement on...

A pending Supreme Court case seeks to limit the freedom of teachers, nurses, firefighters, first responders and other public employees to come together and advocate for better public services and better communities. Read a joint labor statement on Friedrichs v. the California Teachers Association.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s long-overdue proposal to change the overtime rule will help millions more American workers.
Read the AFT’s full statement on the new rule.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s long-overdue proposal to change the overtime rule will help millions more American workers.

Read the AFT’s full statement on the new rule.

Jun 26

Read our full statement on the decision.

Read our full statement on the decision.