Racial Justice

"No Going Back to Normal" in 2021

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 2:20pm
When I accepted a Connecticut People’s World Committee "Amistad Award" last month, I began my remarks by recognizing our members. They are the ones who are out there fighting the good fights and making — as Congressman John Lewis would have said — "good trouble." I credited our educators and school support staff, nurses and healthcare workers, higher education professionals and public employees who have done amazing things over this past year.
 

Comments on Protests for Justice Following Murder of George Floyd

Wed, 06/03/2020 - 10:00am
AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel today made the following public remarks in response to demonstrations across the state and country demanding accountability for last week’s police killing in Minneapolis:
 

Fighting to "Keep Families Together"

Fri, 08/23/2019 - 5:30pm
Here in Connecticut and all across the country — particularly at our nation's southern border — refugees and immigrants face an increasingly hostile climate. Images of children caged in detention camps, workplace raids, families torn apart by deportation orders and violent hate crimes have become all too common. Through it all, union members have been bearing witness and taking action to defend vulnerable communities against intolerance and criminalization.
 
Click here for resources to help protect immigrant families.
 

Joining the Call for a "Moral Revival" in Connecticut

Wed, 05/09/2018 - 5:00pm
Members of affiliated unions have for years engaged in grassroots community and faith-based efforts to tackle discrimination, poverty and inequality where they work and live. Several local social justice organizations allied with AFT Connecticut have begun coordinating state activities in the "Poor People's Campaign (PPC): A National Call for Moral Revival." State federation leaders last month took steps to be part of this movement, rooted in the unfinished work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 

Organizing to Defend Against a "Heartless Assault"

Wed, 09/13/2017 - 12:00pm
President Trump's decision last week to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program puts approximately 850,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children at risk. Many are public school educators, support staff, college instructors and faculty — as well as their students — right here in Connecticut. Our national union has teamed up with advocates to both fight back on their behalf and provide answers to their many questions about the impacts of this radical policy change.
 

Achieving Educator Diversity with a 'Grow Your Own' Vision

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 2:00pm
Leaders in education, labor and civil rights this past spring packed the AFL-CIO's Washington, D.C. headquarters for a second annual teacher diversity and social justice summit. Our national union once again co-sponsored the event, which featured a series of presentations showcasing effective "home-grown" methods for addressing a growing educator shortage. Connecticut labor and community leaders were among the participants, and they've brought back strategies for identifying, preparing and retaining teachers of color from the communities where they work.
 

Protecting Immigrant Students, Educators and Caregivers

Sun, 02/19/2017 - 12:45pm
In classrooms and on campuses across the nation, undocumented youth, from preschoolers to college students, are terrified. Young people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status as well as visa-contingent educators and healthcare professionals fear that changing policies could jeopardize their safety. In an increasingly  hostile political climate, national, state and local union leaders have stepped up to defend communities, demand fairness and corral resources to help.
 
Click here for our national union's resources for immigrant communities.
 

Spotlight: Teaching & Protecting Civil Rights

Sat, 01/14/2017 - 10:30am
For the month in which the nation observes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, we're spotlighting union members whose work carries on the social justice leader's legacy. Here in Connecticut, attorneys in the state's civil and human rights enforcement agency strive to confront ongoing discrimination faced by residents. At the same time, local public schools' educators teach their students the history of the movement that Dr. King led — and its relevance to struggles for justice and equality today.
 

Summit Gives Full Context to Challenge of Teacher Diversity

Tue, 05/17/2016 - 3:30pm
Key public education stakeholders earlier this month convened to address efforts to attract, prepare and retain a teaching workforce that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of our nation's students. The May 6 summit in Washington, D.C. drew participation from a full spectrum of organizations and individuals grappling with the issue and was co-sponsored by our national union.
 

"From My Classroom to My Colleague:" Improving Teacher Retention

Wed, 12/23/2015 - 1:00pm
The challenge of retaining highly qualified teachers for public schools in high-poverty neighborhoods is having a detrimental impact on the "opportunity to learn" for children across the country. That's among the significant findings of a report on the so-called "diversity gap" between educators and their students by the Albert Shanker Institute. In Connecticut, union members, who on a daily basis see the effects of teacher turnover in distressed local communities, are discussing its implications and proposing possible solutions.
 
Click here for the report.
 
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