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Georgetown University graduate employees cast historic vote for the union

Graduate employees at Georgetown University made history Nov. 9 when they finished tallying an 83 percent vote to join the union, the Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees. The overwhelming victory is the first that circumvents the Trump-appointed National Labor Relations Board. Instead it is certified by the American Arbitration Association, and it decisively frames graduates not as students but as workers, with all the rights that title commands.

A class-action suit filed in federal court sets out serious allegations that student loan servicer Navient has misled borrowers in public service professions from accessing a loan forgiveness program to boost its own profits. The landmark complaint, which seeks millions in damages and class-wide injunctive relief, details a spate of systematic misrepresentations, untruths and misdirection pedaled by Navient to stop borrowers from enrolling in Public Service Loan Forgiveness, a 10-year payoff plan administered by rival servicer FedLoan.

Every school and college support staffer who belongs to the AFT knows they’re in this line of work for their students, for each other and for their communities.

It stands to reason. They love the work. They are devoted to their students, fighting for resources that will help young people and communities thrive. They have each other’s backs. And they’re sticking with their union, which provides supports like professional development, as well as collective bargaining tools, free lesson plans and sources for books and supplies.

“A Decade of Neglect: Public Education Funding in the Aftermath of the Great Recession” details for the first time the devastating impact on schools, classrooms and students when states choose to pursue an austerity agenda in the false belief that tax cuts will pay for themselves. The comprehensive report offers a deep dive into the long-term austerity agendas and historic disinvestment that sparked the wave of nationwide walkouts this spring.

If the case of Janus v. AFSCME is supposed to spell the end of unions– as corporate-funded shadow groups would have you believe - you wouldn’t have known it based on the actions of AFT-Oregon members, fellow union members, allied community groups, and elected officials.

Deirdre Mackey and her daughter, Grace Misztal, two beloved members of the AFT-Oregon family, were tragically lost on December 25, 2017, but their commitment to justice lives on. At the 2018 AFT-Oregon Convention, members unanimously approved a resolution to establish two social justice scholarships in honor of Deirdre and Grace.

Thousands of members of the American Federation of Teachers from across the nation gathered in Pittsburgh from July 12-16, 2018, at the 2018 National Convention. Click here to learn more.

Hundreds of proud members of the PCC Federation of Classified Employees (PCCFCE, AFT Local 3922) gathered to send a clear message to the Supreme Court and anti-worker organizations: they’re sticking to their union.

In a decision that surprised no one, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27 ruled against working people and in favor of billionaires and corporate interests in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, holding that requiring fair-share fees in public sector workplaces violates the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Preparing for Janus v. AFSCME

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned 40 years of precedent by making it illegal for unions of public workers to collect fees from employees who are not members, but are represented in contract negotiations and grievances. Click here for resources.

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Georgetown University graduate employees cast historic vote for the union

AFT members are taking Navient to court

It’s back to school for support professionals

A Decade of Neglect

Members, Allies, and Electeds Rally across Oregon to Declare: “We’re Sticking with the Union!”

AFT-Oregon Honors the Lives of Deirdre Mackey and Grace Misztal with Social Justice Scholarships

The AFT Convention 2018: We care. We fight. We show up. We vote.

PCC Federation of Classified Employees Gather for Training, Solidarity

After Janus, we’re in it to win it

Preparing for Janus v. AFSCME

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