Solidarity to protect public education rang out at AFT convention


By DEBORAH A. MILES Hundreds of public-sector workers,


nurses, health-care workers and teachers flocked to Los Angeles in mid-July to attend one of the most rousing American Federation of Teachers (AFT) conventions ever held. PEF’s five statewide officers, three


trustees and 27 elected delegates attended the inspirational event led by AFT President Randi Weingarten, who was re-elected. She opened the convention by telling the


crowd, “Throughout history, we raised our voices and fought for fair wages and decent conditions for workers in America. We are going to reclaim the promise of America.” The Rev. Dr. William Barber, president of


the North Carolina NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), brought the attendees to their feet, cheering and roaring, with his moving rhetoric and energy. PEF Executive Board Member Sabrina


Gallop from the state Education Department said, “Dr. Barber is an architect of a movement called ‘Moral Mondays.’ On that day, he and others advocate for basic rights. He fights for what he calls ‘the soul of our democracy’ because it is the right thing to do.” Barber’s theme, “We will organize


together and we will fight together,” was echoed by subsequent speakers. Some talked about failing school districts


spanning the nation, as well as the need to stand up for public education. They


criticized what has become known as “toxic testing,” and had the crowd chanting, “Education is our life, that is why we have to fight.” And they raised the issue of electing the right people. Part of the convention activities included


giving away thousands of books to children, many of whom had never owned a book. PEF Vice President Barbara Ulmer said


the convention offered a lot of insight and information on moving public employee unions forward. “The fact there were delegates


from all over the nation was great,” Ulmer said. “The speakers were dynamic and spoke about such things as solution-driven unionism, ways to engage members to promote quality public services, and how to build public employee unity around the world.” A major convention activity was a


massive boycott at a bulk-goods retailer, Staples. At the request of the American Postal Workers Union, the AFT convention delegates made their voices heard as they marched in front of the store. AFT has opposed the deal between the


United States Postal Service (USPS) and the giant office supply chain to operate postal counters in Staples stores. The postmaster general has announced his intention of expanding the partnership to 1,500 Staples locations nationwide. Thomas Lozinsky Jr, a PEF delegate from


the state Department of Transportation, said the contract between Staples and the


www.peftrainingcenter.org


USPS is another form of privatization of public services. “Staples employees are not properly


trained to handle mail-security matters. There is a record of high turnover at these stores. In solidarity with other labor unions, PEF abhors the terms between this government agency and the private contractor because they have been cloaked in a veil of secrecy. When it comes to privatizing the U.S. mail, we say. ‘No,’” Lozinsky said.


PEF’s trustees Ronald


Brown, Kenneth Johnson and Maureen Kellman agreed the convention was


an opportunity to see how AFT, as a parent union, uses PEF’s dues and how that benefits PEF. “One of our roles as trustees is to


oversee PEF’s finances, and this convention enlightened us on the use of PEF’s finances,” Kellman said. “Attending this convention also provided


valuable information to the trustees about ways to improve PEF delegate participation throughout the convention,” Brown added. He noted, in particular, the importance


of the PEF delegates attending all the AFT convention sessions and the need for accountability. The trustees agreed the speakers were


dynamic and made them feel the idea to reclaim the promise of America and to stimulate labor’s role in the workforce is within reach if everyone works together.


Online training empowers members


By DEBORAH A. MILES PEF realizes the importance of arming


its members with knowledge, and the power that comes from learning. To give members the tools required to


understand and strengthen the union, PEF offers an exciting variety of online courses available on its website. “The beauty of this training is its


convenience and flexibility. It can be done at a member’s own pace, when time permits,” said PEF Director of Health, Safety, Training and Education Paula Hennessy. Whether you are a new PEF convention


delegate or a seasoned member, getting up to speed with the proper way the union


www.pef.org


does things and functions is important. Nine training topics are currently


available. “An Introduction to Robert’s Rules of Order” is one training example PEF convention attendees should experience. It is a useful and easy to understand guide on the rules of parliamentary procedure. PEF follows Roberts Rules at its annual conventions, and PEF encourages all of its leaders to use this process at council and member meetings. “This method facilitates order and


decorum,” Hennessy said. PEF’s eLearning bandwagon includes


topics such as: How To Write a Resolution, Many Roles of a Steward, Division Finance


Training, Basics of Workers’ Compensation, The Art of Communication, Organized Labor and the newest, Basic Probation Issues. “All these topics play an integral role in


understanding the union. Training empowers members to take an active role in PEF,” Hennessy said. PEF continuously enhances and


updates its training center and will soon add “This Is PEF.” This course will introduce new members to PEF’s history, administration, officers, and member benefits. To access the training courses, go to www.peftrainingcenter.org.


The Communicator September 2014—Page 11


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