Civil Rights

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.
 

"U & I in Union:" Beating the Same Forces "Coming After Us"

Sat, 09/29/2018 - 10:30am
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail wrote that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The civil rights leader's statement on the value of solidarity remains true today, especially for immigrant communities. We're sharing an example of a higher education professional engaging union members in direct action to win justice for a student's family threatened with being torn apart by deportation.
 

Responding to Attacks on "Our Rights and Freedoms"

Thu, 06/28/2018 - 5:00pm
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday issued its long-anticipated ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 lawsuit — one that favors billionaires out to destroy America's labor movement. The 5-4 decision overturned a four decades-old precedent and has long been the goal of a shadowy network of deep-pocketed political operatives. Here in Connecticut, union members gathered in Hartford to denounce this judicial attack on their freedom to negotiate a fair return on their work.
 

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.
 

Mobilizing to "Protect Our Freedom to Negotiate"

Wed, 02/28/2018 - 6:30pm
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a corporate-funded lawsuit aimed directly at public employees across the country. That afternoon in Connecticut, union members gathered at simultaneous demonstrations to show the case's backers that working people aren’t backing down. All this took place as our state federation's leaders moved forward a plan to build greater strength for the future, regardless of the high court's ruling.
 

Fighting Forward in 2018

Wed, 01/17/2018 - 1:30pm
The planning process for any group can seem a bit like sausage-making. Without a roadmap, however, it is impossible to move forward when faced with escalating challenges on multiple fronts, from Hartford to Washington and in local communities across Connecticut. That's precisely why state federation leaders last summer embarked on a comprehensive effort to develop a strategic plan to build a more active and engaged "union of professionals" in 2018.
 

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.
 
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