CFT President Joshua Pechthalt honored with Ben Rust Award
AFT Local 2121 member and former CFT Communications Director Fred Glass presented retiring CFT President Joshua Pechthalt with the CFT’s highest honor, the Ben Rust Award. Glass called Pechthalt, who was AFT vice president of United Teachers Los Angeles before being elected CFT president in 2011, an organizer, a trade unionist, and a fighter for social justice like Rust.
We can’t afford to go back – Proposition 55 sails to victory
School and college funding secured
In a crowded field of 17 propositions on the statewide ballot November 8, voters clearly saw the value of publicly funded education and passed CFT’s top priority, Proposition 55, with an impressive 24-point margin.
CFT leaders help launch Prop 55 campaign
Supporters of Proposition 55, including educators, elected officials, parents and other community representatives, held a press conference in front of Hamilton High School in Los Angeles on August 15, kicking off the local campaign for the ballot initiative that will protect schools and students from losing up to $4 billion per year.
Local Action: Big Pay Raises
»Gilroy Federation of Paraeducators negotiated a 5.5 percent pay increase retroactive to December 1, a one-time 2 percent raise back to July 2014, adjustments of 3 percent for most job classes, increased stipends and out-of-class pay.
»Weaver Federation of Educational Employees will see a 5 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2014, and 1.1 percent off-schedule for the entire year; another 5 percent raise and one-time 1.1 percent lump sum on July 1, and a third 5 percent pay increase in July 2016.
“Make it Fair” creates real change for California
By Josh Pechthalt, CFT President
California’s largest, oldest corporations have not been paying their fair share for more than 35 years. As a result, the state has lost billions of dollars in uncollected property tax revenues — a major factor pushing our public schools to the national bottom in per pupil spending and class size average. The state’s most at-risk families and individuals have also seen essential services repeatedly cut for more than a generation.
Prop. 30 delivers salary relief in recent contracts
After years of stagnant wages, classified employees are finally seeing long-overdue salary relief in recent months.
The raises largely result from the CFT campaign two years ago to pass Proposition 30. This year, the governor’s budget included $5.6 billion in additional funding for K-14 education. Prop. 30 will generate an average of about $6 billion per year for seven years.
Tri-Counties Labor Council honors two local presidents
Two CFT members were named Labor Leaders of the Year by the Tri-Counties Central Labor Council: Steve Hall, president of the Ventura County Federation of College Teachers, and Debra Stakes president of the Cuesta College Federation of Teachers. Congratulations Steve and Debra!
Courage Campaign honors Pechthalt with its United in Courage Award
The Courage Campaign, a CFT community partner, awarded CFT President Josh Pechthalt with the United in Courage Award on April 22 at Sacramento’s Citizen Hotel. The United in Courage Award is given each year to a progressive leader who exemplifies courage and collaboration in the pursuit of a more fair and just society.
Proposition 30 leads way to fiscal recovery
Public school educators face a new threat in the form of the Vergara v. California lawsuit, which aims to declare unconstitutional five provisions of the Education Code that ensure seniority, due process and other rights for K-12 teachers.
Prop. 30 brings bounty of classes for students, part-timers
The passage of Proposition 30 in November of 2012 has been a boon to part-time faculty at Citrus College in Glendora, beginning with the winter term and continuing uninterrupted into this fall.
Pechthalt honored by UCLA Labor Center
CFT President Joshua Pechthalt was honored Thursday, May 23, 2013, by the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, at the Center’s annual banquet, for his work to help pass Proposition 30 in November 2012.
Prop. 30 victory helps save part-time teaching jobs
Instructors, students and others committed to quality public education in California breathed a sigh of relief with the passage of Proposition 30, the ballot measure that will bring increased revenue to public education and other services through temporary progressive taxation.
Classified rise to the challenge of passing Prop. 30
Threat of more furlough days spurs community outreach and response
Classified employees had a lot to lose if voters rejected Prop. 30 on November 6. Staff swung into action across California, racking up victories in state and local campaigns that will go a long way toward saving public education.
Gilroy paraprofessionals in AFT Local 1921, for example, resisted pressure to take 10 furlough days until the need was clear, even though district teachers represented by CTA and classified employees represented by CSEA had agreed beforehand to give up the days.
CFT celebrates election victory with Progressive Convening and looks forward
Courage Campaign Chair Rick Jacobs and CFT President Joshua Pechthalt hold up a cake painted with California map frosting before Progressive Convening attendees in Los Angeles celebrated the Prop 30 victory by consuming it.
The meeting included representatives from the Reclaiming California’s Future coalition and dozens of other organizations. The group analyzed the election results and began to plan for the next steps in making California a better place to live.
CFT members lead in passing Prop 30, defeating Prop. 32
Working with coalition partners, the union helps reach millions of Californians
Voters in California sent a powerful message on Election Day, passing Proposition 30 which raised income taxes on top earners to support public education — the first major tax increase since passage of the revenue-cutting Proposition 13 almost 35 years ago.
Nearly nine in ten CFT members, 87 percent, voted for Prop. 30, the merger of CFT’s Millionaires Tax and Gov. Brown’s original initiative, according to a post-election poll commissioned by the California Labor Federation.
The Fight for California’s Future
Our campaign for better education funding and fair taxation
With the passage of Proposition 30 in the November 2012 election, California is finally looking at improved prospects. Prop 30 begins the process of reversing the massive redistribution of wealth upwards that has taken place over the past thirty years. By imposing a 1–3% increase on the wealthiest Californians’ income taxes, and a modest sales tax increase of one-quarter of 1%, the state budget will gain some relief and programs in education and social services will not face further savage cuts.
Yes on Prop. 30: Tax the wealthy to raise money for schools and colleges
In the last four years, our schools and colleges have been hit with $20 billion in cuts, have lost 30,000 faculty members, and now have class sizes that are among the largest in the country.
Yes on revenue measure, No on Special Exemptions Act
The popular CFT-sponsored Millionaires Tax merged with the governor’s revenue proposal this spring to become the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 on the November ballot.
The measure will generate $9 billion in vital funding per fiscal year. About 85 percent of the revenue will come from the highest income tax brackets.
State of the Union: Merged measure calls for the largest single tax increase on the rich in California history
By Joshua Pechthalt, CFT President
We all know the challenge to maintain salaries and benefits and keep our members working has never been more difficult. But in spite of difficulties, our members and local leaders continue to organize and win victories.
Yes on 30: The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012
Proposition 30, the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act, is on the November 6 ballot. Along with Proposition 32, it is the most important issue facing California voters among the many ballot measures.