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COVID Spikes Across the State

On August 25th, Louisiana reported the single deadliest day of the entire pandemic, with 139 deaths from COVID-19 and 3,814 new cases. Unlike previous waves of the virus, the delta variant is further impacting children. On Wednesday, August 25th, COVID claimed its youngest victim, a child under the age of one. In total, 11 children have died from COVID in Louisiana, many more have been hospitalized, and over 6,000 K-12 students have tested positive.

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CONCORD, NH—Statement by Deb Howes, president of AFT-New Hampshire, on the importance of COVID-19 mitigation protocols such as masks and vaccinations as students and educators return to in-school learning:

August 26, 2021

PHILADELPHIA—"The situation unfolding at Masterman is emblematic of the years of systemic refusal to provide the PFT, our members, and our communities with accurate, timely, and detailed information pertaining to the health and safety of our school buildings. It is exactly why the PFT not only has been the founder and driving force behind the Fund Our Facilities Coalition, but also have spent years not only defining the facilities crisis but also identifying real solutions. In our May report, we again outlined the severity of this crisis district-wide and pointing to specific actions the District must take to bring about urgently needed change.

Group grievances were filed for certain classifications believed to be eligible for the COVID-19 response that DBM did not include. The grievances include:

August 24, 2021

In advance of this evening's board vote on a vaccine mandate, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement:

PHILADELPHIA—"This union has been very clear from the start-- we support vaccines, and we have been urging every member to get vaccinated. Further, we have expressed our support for a negotiated vaccine mandate. As an AFT Vice President, I helped craft our national position on vaccine mandates. But let us not forget that while a vaccine mandate is warranted and very important, nearly 90% of educators nationwide have been vaccinated.

"It is imperative to note that our students in PreK-7 are not yet even eligible for the vaccine. As such, each day, tens of thousands of unvaccinated individuals will be entering our buildings. A multilayered mitigation strategy is absolutely key—vaccines, universal masking, and universal testing. Earlier this month, we shared testimony with the PA House Democratic Policy committee on critical safety measures.

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In August 2021, the NRLB approved the vote which formed the ORVA Educators United (OEU) union. ORVA teachers share their thoughts and hopes for their first labor contract.

We developed and sent a questionnaire to every candidate running for mayor or city council on October 9, 2021. Here are the responses of the candidates who responded.