On May 21 hundreds of CFT members gathered outside of the Sacramento Capitol to celebrate and honor the work of classified professionals. The crowd was filled with excitement, pride, and a sense of readiness. All of which fell right into place with the theme of the event: No Class Without Classified: Filling the Gaps to Educate California Students.
T-shirts, buttons, and posters were handed out and gleefully sported which created a colorful bold gathering that drew the curiosity and attention of passersby.
In addition to CFT, members from CSEA, a handful of elected officials, and most notably the AFT President, Randi Weingarten, joined the crowd.
Carl Williams, President of the CFT Council of Classified Employees, hopped onto the stage and immediately was met with cheering and applause.
“We are here today to lift our voices and let the folks inside of this building know that what we do on the inside and outside of the classroom, providing meals, security, teaching support, in every office you can find a classified worker,” he said. “In every single learning institution we are cooking it, cleaning it, typing it, teaching it, driving it. We do the work!”
Many members turned around to show the back of their t-shirts which displayed the exact sentiments of Williams: We cook it, We fix it, We drive it, We paint it, We schedule it, We clean it, We are Classified!
Williams got the crowd going and proudly introduced Weingarten, who took to the stage in her usual energetic and focused character. Weingarten started off on a strong note stating that workers have power and the labor movement needs them. She continued to highlight the importance of staying motivated and ready to organize for better working conditions and increased wages.
“We need to make sure that collectively our classified workers, who make the village of schooling possible, that you have a voice! A real voice. And the vehicle for that voice is our movement. The labor movement!”
Weingarten pointed to a group of children walking in front of the capitol and reminded the audience that children are the country’s future and the work that classified professionals do contributes to that future every single day. A message that received head nods and heartfelt focus from the many members listening.
CFT President Jeff Freitas took to the stage and shared a meaningful and vulnerable message about his family roots.
“My grandfather built the high school I went to. My grandmother was a cafeteria worker. My mom was a secretary. My dad was an electrician and a Teamster. I was able to be lifted up, go to college, get a career, become a teacher, on the backs of classified workers.”
The event ended on a high note with a local mariachi band performance, lunch, and fruitful conversations and reflections of the work ahead.