As the nation works to limit the spread and impact of the potentially fatal 2019 novel coronavirus, COVID-19, CUB members have resources they can use as an AFT affiliate to be more informed on personal safety and workplace protocol. Click here to visit AFT.org for a number of tools provided by AFT that will be helpful for school staff and local public employees.

The AFT has done numerous information sessions since the coronavirus emerged, and we’ll do the largest telephone town hall to date this Saturday at 1 p.m. Central. We will highlight what we know, provide our recommendations and answer your questions. You can sign up for the town hall here. In order to join the call, you must R.S.V.P. by midnight on Friday.

The 2020 legislative session began Monday, March 9^th. It kicked off with the Governor’s annual State of the State address on Monday afternoon and continued with a flurry of introductory committee meetings.

Learn more about LFT's five main legislative priorities this session: 

1. Reduce Unnecessary Testing
2. Secure Pay Raises and Increased School Funding
3. Protect Retirement
4. Improve School Safety & Discipline
5. Expand and Protect the Rights of Working People

In case you missed it, educators across New Mexico are asking the Education Retirement Board (NMERB) to divest retirement funds from private prisons. We know that these institutions promote the School to Prison pipeline and we believe our hard-earned money should not be used to fund these companies.

Currently, NMERB has only $1.4M in private prison companies out of an investment fund of $13 billion. So, this will not hurt our retirement funds. On the contrary, private prisons are one of the riskiest investments on Wall Street. Click here to read more!

You might have seen that the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF) Fed Rep Council passed a motion calling on the ERB to take action. Click here to read more!

AFT New Mexico is calling on educators across New Mexico to sign on and ask the NMERB to re-direct our retirement money. Please sign the petition online now by clicking HERE!

Thank you for taking action!

In Solidarity,

Stephanie Ly

AFT New Mexico, President

In March, BESE met to approve an MFP proposal with $80 million dollars in additional funding. They also examined the Jump Start program, talked about the process to hire John White's replacement and more. 

Are you concerned about Elder Care in Minnesota?  Click on this link to find out more about Elder Voice and what they have done, and continue to do, advocating for preventing Elder abuse.

AFT Healthcare-Maryland is committed to advocating for all of our members in a range of ways. One way we do this is by being active and engaged with the Maryland General Assembly during the legislative session. Being state workers, the General Assembly is a vital resource we use to make our workplace and our work conditions better for our membership. Click here to see how AFT Healthcare-Maryland advocated for our members in Annapolis recently around the legislation that would affect of staffing and pay equity.

The union’s legislative arm is strongest when members are the advocates lobbying for themselves. Legislators listen with a closer ear and a more compassionate heart when public employees share their experiences from their worksites.

We had some things to say to the UConn Health board of directors about our working relationship with management.

Read Chief Steward Jean Morningstar's testimony from March 9, 2020.

Read 1st VP Ivonne Hamm's testimony from March 9, 2020.

Read President Bill Garrity's testimony from March 9, 2020.