AFT

WHEREAS, there are more than 3 million paraprofessionals and school-related personnel who work every day to support more than 49 million students in preK-12 and 18 million students in higher education; and

Never underestimate a public school teacher. Gov. Tim Walz declared those words as he accepted the vice presidential nomination. I know every teacher who heard him sat up straighter and said, darn right.

The energy at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22 was off the charts, registering a joyful resurgence of optimism about the presidential election and the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz candidacy. And the AFT was in the thick of it: There were about 120 AFT members who were convention delegates.

Eleven union organizations representing hundreds of thousands of faculty and staff at colleges and universities raised their voices Sept. 16 in a historic alliance of purpose, amplifying a vision of higher education for the public good and calling on the Harris-Walz ticket to join them in creating the policy changes necessary to attain it.

Over 60 behavioral health therapists at Legacy’s Unity Center for Behavioral Health joined the Oregon Nurses Association, strengthening a 120-member bargaining unit advocating for patients and colleagues ahead of Oregon Health & Science University’s acquisition of Legacy. The therapists join other unionized healthcare professionals at Legacy, seeking to improve patient care, staffing and safety. United under ONA, they are committed to addressing issues like short staffing, growing patient demands and the need for stronger support for mental health services.

Banned books have become a rallying cry for educators—and so many others—who want children to have access to a diversity of stories and to see themselves reflected in their books. But at Western Illinois University, there’s another threat to literacy and information access: Every one of the faculty librarians there has been dismissed.

Awareness and Prevention are the Best Medicine: Outbreaks of Mpox (MPV) and Polio have reared their ugly heads in the United States. While there is no need for panic, this is the time to learn the best strategies to protect yourself from exposure. Here you will find factsheets on MPV, including one for healthcare workers, workers within educational settings and workers within correctional institutions. Additionally, here you will find a factsheet on polio, as there have been cases identified in New York State. The good news is that there are preventative treatments for both diseases.

Latinos are the second-largest voting bloc in the nation, with more than 36 million eligible to vote and 17.5 million already expected to turn out for the presidential election.

As the days left before Election Day dwindle, the AFT Votes bus continues its work: It’s already held more than 110 events in 40 cities and 16 states, and traveled thousands of miles to get out the vote—and we’re not the only ones. We’ve crossed paths with GOTV buses from Higher Heights, Black Voters Matter and Unidos. The American Civil Liberties Union has been on the road too, and we’ve done joint events with the Common Ground Over Chaos bus from New York State United Teachers and with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades bus.

A wide range of higher education advocates gathered Oct. 28 to make a final push to get out the vote. While they hailed from different unions and held various elected positions, with different degrees of progressive politics, they all agreed: Winning the presidential election is crucial for democracy, and for our colleges and universities.