AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Nomination of Mary Cathryn Ricker as Minnesota Education Commissioner

For Immediate Release
December 20, 2018

Contact:
Marcus Mrowka
202-531-0689
mmrowka@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Nomination of Mary Cathryn Ricker as Minnesota Education Commissioner

WASHINGTON—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on AFT Executive Vice President Mary Cathryn Ricker being nominated as Minnesota education commissioner by Gov.-elect Tim Walz:

“Mary Cathryn is the right person at the right time. Whether ensuring the community had a place in contract bargaining in St. Paul, or fighting for diversity in our teaching force and equity for all our students, or leading the AFT Innovation Fund’s work to strengthen schools, Mary Cathryn’s North Star has always been finding ways to help children. She understands that starts with deeply respecting and working with educators, because together we can do what is impossible for people to achieve alone. Her hallmark is finding common ground for the common good.

“Her nomination as Minnesota education commissioner sends a clear message that teacher voice should be recognized, not invisible, in decisions concerning our students’ education. The voice and experience of teachers, and the needs of students and communities, have always guided Mary Cathryn’s work as a National Board Certified Teacher, a local leader and a national officer of the AFT. Now she gets to bring that passion and experience as a public school graduate, a public school teacher and a teacher union leader to making a difference in the lives of teachers and kids in her beloved home state.

“I’ve worked alongside Mary Cathryn for two decades and have treasured her wisdom, passion and optimism. They fuel her devotion to public education as the foundation of our democracy, our communities and our children’s pathway to achieving their dreams. Gov.-elect Walz could not have chosen a better partner to strengthen Minnesota’s public schools.

“And on a personal note to Mary Cathryn, on behalf of the 1.7 million members of the AFT, we thank you for your leadership, we congratulate you on this achievement, and we look forward to working alongside you in this new role to continue championing public education and lifting up the voices of those in the classroom.”

AFT’s Randi Weingarten on the Federal Commission on School Safety Report

For Immediate Release
December 18, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT’s Randi Weingarten on the Federal Commission on School Safety Report

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement on the report released by the Federal Commission on School Safety:

“The Federal Commission on School Safety took a horrendous year of school shooting tragedies and produced a report with a smorgasbord of recommendations—some of which we have championed for years—aimed at making our schools safer. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t address the root causes of the gun violence epidemic: too many guns in our communities and not enough investment in addressing the social-emotional health of our kids. And, sadly, the Trump administration has no coherent plan to address this crisis.

“While the report proposes some worthy strategies already recommended by students, teachers and school staff—including support for school counselors, cyberbullying prevention, extreme-risk protection orders, the troops-to-teachers program, and active shooter training—it does not contain a single proposal for new funding for these initiatives.

“What’s more, the commission appears to punt on the question of arming teachers, rather than taking a strong stance against it, even though parents, students and teachers agree: Putting more guns in schools only risks making schools less safe. But Betsy DeVos continually advocates for this lunacy. The report doesn’t recommend age restrictions on firearms and appears more concerned with the National Rifle Association and the school security industry than with the needs of the people in classrooms.

“But most curious and disappointing is the report’s use of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to push an anti-civil rights agenda that won’t keep schools safe. The report suggests rolling back Obama-era school discipline guidance that was intended to help prevent the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of students of color, students with disabilities and LGBTQ youth—under the guise of making schools safer. The shooter at Stoneman Douglas had in
fact been expelled and reported to law enforcement; rescinding discipline guidance and kicking kids out of school doesn’t prevent school shootings.

“Today, the commission and the Trump administration missed an opportunity to bring the country together. Parents, students and educators want schools to be safe. That requires fair discipline policies, but also a real investment in meaningful mental health supports and other key recommendations in the report, plus the advancement of commonsense gun safety reforms to help curb the gun violence epidemic in our country.”

Dec. 17 edition, Pension Issues in the News

DECEMBER 17, 2018

MINNESOTA NEWS + OPINION

Take Note From Minnesota

National Public Pension Coalition

Bipartisanship. It's rare these days, isn't it? No matter which side of politics you're on over the border wall, health care, climate change, or anything for ...

NATIONAL NEWS + OPINION

Researchers: CT pensions troubled but slightly protected

CT Post

A new survey of Connecticut's troubled public-pension programs indicates that in the event of an economic downturn, the retirements funds would be ...

Reactions to kentucky supreme court's ruling to nix the public pension ...

WCLU

Reactions were swift and predictably varied to the Kentucky Supreme Court's unanimous ruling to nix the public pension bill. Attorney General Andy ...

Arizona-style pension 'fix' won't work in Illinois

Chicago Sun-Times

You'd think the addition of politicians to the pension reform list would attract even more public backing, but you'd be wrong. Voters did approve the ...

Opinion | Georgia's pension reforms do nothing for most Georgians

OC Media

Because the reforms are not designed to increase pensions in the medium term, public debates would certainly be a challenge for the government.

Connecticut Wants You to View Your Neighbor's Pension. Here's Why

Fortune

Similar databases also exist in other U.S. states, including some of the biggest public pension systems in the country such as California and New York.

Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously strikes down controversial pension law

Lexington Herald Leader

The Kentucky Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously struck down a controversial law that would have reduced retirement benefits for public ...

Some Good News From Illinois On Public Pensions?

Forbes

Readers, I'm pausing my writing on multi-employer pensions for just long enough to address a news item out of Illinois, as reported by the Chicago ...

State of New Mexico workers could pay more for pensions

Santa Fe New Mexican

The legislative session may giveth but could also taketh away. The board of the Public Employees Retirement Association backed a proposal Tuesday ...

Despite Good Returns, Iowa Public Pension's Unfunded Liability Likely to Grow Slightly

Chief Investment Officer

Although solid investment returns have stabilized Iowa's top public pension fund, the unfunded liabilities are little affected. A report from the Des ...

2019 return targets lower, less uniform, post-crisis

Pensions & Investments

Return assumptions across 128 U.S. public pension funds fell on average 65 basis points between 2008 and 2019, according to a November data ...

Illinois' Unfunded Pension Liability Climbs to $133.5 Billion

U.S. News & World Report

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois' already huge unfunded pension liability grew bigger in fiscal 2018, rising to $133.5 billion from $129 billion at the end of ...

Key GOP lawmaker: No changes to Iowans' public pensions under his watch

DesMoinesRegister.com

A key Republican lawmaker doesn't want public employees to worry about their pensions when the Legislature comes back in January. “There will be ...

California Supreme Court Hears Pension Reduction Case

Chief Investment Officer

Jerry Brown's 2012 pension reform law that ended the practice of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) selling “airtime,” ...

Nevada PERS renews fight to keep records private

Nevada Appeal

The Public Employees Retirement System has again petitioned the Nevada Supreme Court to block the release of retiree payment records.

Oregon PERS Scrambles for Ideas to Bolster Public Pension Plan

Chief Investment Officer

The state's $76.7 billion public retirement system, Oregon PERS, at 73% funded, is in better shape than many other states' public-worker plans.

Public Sector Pensions Assume Record-High Investment Returns

Forbes

“Public Pension Return Assumptions Fall to All-Time Low,” reads a recent headline in the trade journal Chief Investment Officer, which caters to state ...

Teacher Pension Debt Undermines Public Education in Georgia

Georgia Public Policy Foundation

Georgia's students deserve fiscally responsible public education management, but chronic underfunding of teachers' pensions is putting that at risk.

AFT President Randi Weingarten on Affordable Care Act Ruling

For Immediate Release
December 15, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten on Affordable Care Act Ruling

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“Using last year’s GOP tax law changes to eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate as the pretext to gut the entire law drags our healthcare system back to a draconian era where one illness or injury could bankrupt the average American family.

“The ACA isn’t perfect, but it’s the only thing that has protected the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, and that has brought healthcare to the millions of seniors, young people and economically disadvantaged people previously denied it by greedy insurance companies. Without the ACA, those companies are once again free to deny coverage and drive up out-of-pocket expenses; plus, prescription drug costs will rise, and as many as 17 million people could lose their coverage within the next year.

“The midterm elections made clear that voters want healthcare protected, not gutted. Instead, the Republican governors who brought this case—with President Trump’s support—have ignored the will and the needs of the people. They have put millions of American lives on the line. If the rule of law prevails, a higher court will reverse this decision. And if basic humanity prevails, it will be done quickly, in order to give millions of people some peace of mind that an illness or prescription won’t pauperize them.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten and Wisconsin AFT Leaders Condemn Scott Walker for Signing Lame-Duck Bill

For Immediate Release
December 14, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten and Wisconsin AFT Leaders Condemn Scott Walker for Signing Lame-Duck Bill

WASHINGTON—Statements from AFT President Randi Weingarten, AFT-Wisconsin President Kim Kohlhaas and Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Candice Owley on Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s signing of lame-duck legislation that restricts early voting and weakens the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general:

AFT President Randi Weingarten said:

“Scott Walker has ended his tenure as governor of Wisconsin exactly as he started it: in a mean-spirited takedown of anyone who dares to disagree with him or his backers. Eight years ago, he stripped the rights of public school teachers and other public employees and, in so doing, made a mess of the state’s public schools and universities. He slashed education spending at every level in favor of tax cuts for big companies. Because Walker has made a career out of putting regular people last, this past November the voters of Wisconsin voted instead for Tony Evers.

“But Walker didn’t stop at dissing workers. Now, he’s dissed the voters too. As he leaves office, he and his fellow Republicans are fixated on maintaining power and defying the people’s will, even if that means handcuffing his successor’s ability to govern and flouting the democratic process. Today, Scott Walker reminded us all who he truly is.”

AFT-Wisconsin President Kim Kohlhaas said:

“Educators across this state rejected Scott Walker’s agenda on Nov. 6, and, today, his parting gift was to remind them that he doesn’t care about them or their vote. He doesn’t care about the $590 cuts in per-pupil funding and the $2 billion cuts to public education funding, which left teachers fleeing the state and rural schools struggling to keep up. Tony Evers vowed to invest in Wisconsin’s schools and Wisconsin’s kids, to protect our healthcare and our early voting rights, yet even after we voted him out of office, Walker is still managing to stand in the way of that promise.”

Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Candice Owley said:

“Scott Walker’s legacy won’t just be his attacks on working people. We’ll remember how strongly he supported efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and how he led a lawsuit to allow big insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. He also refused to expand Wisconsin’s Medicaid program, denying care to thousands of Wisconsinites. Today, he showed his true colors again: as a sore loser who wants to strip the governor’s office of any power, simply because he’s not the one occupying it

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to Anti-Semitic Graffiti Near Union’s Office

For Immediate Release
December 12, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to Anti-Semitic Graffiti Near Union’s Office

WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, Dec. 11, and Wednesday, Dec. 12, several public areas around the American Federation of Teachers’ Washington, D.C., office building—including a wall on one side of the AFT’s building—were defaced with a yellow spray-painted message reading “I want Jexit!” The incidents were reported to local police, and some of the graffiti has been removed.

The AFT’s initial research confirms the phrase has anti-Semitic connotations, has been used previously to slur Jewish people and Jewish identity, and is popular in online spaces that cater to hate and nationalism.

The AFT has also reached out to the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center to further investigate the meaning and significance of the term used in the message. The SPLC has added images of it to its monitoring database, which tracks hate speech around the country.

AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“We will stare all bigotry in the face, whether it is anti-Jew, anti-Islam, anti-black, anti-brown, anti-native, anti-LGBTQ or any other hate directed at people because of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Defacing our community with hateful rhetoric is meant to intimidate, otherize and sow fear, and to divide our community and make people feel unsafe and unwelcome where they live and work. But this type of hate crime does just the opposite: It mobilizes us to come together and unite around the common causes of tolerance and peace, and to continue fighting for a more inclusive, more just world.”

Teachers Union Leaders on Chicago Charter School Strike Victory

For Immediate Release
December 9, 2018

Contact:
Andrew Crook
607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

Teachers Union Leaders on Chicago Charter School Strike Victory

CHICAGO—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey and union bargaining committee member Martha Baumgarten issued the following statements after the bargaining team for 500 striking educators at 15 Acero charter schools reached a tentative agreement with management today. The strike—the first ever at a U.S. charter school network—received overwhelming support from parents and the community.

The tentative agreement reduces class size and includes language in the contract to provide sanctuary for the school’s predominantly immigrant population, including protection from federal immigration enforcement on school grounds, and aligns pay for teachers and paraprofessionals with the pay scales of their colleagues in Chicago Public Schools, among other provisions. It will now go to the full Acero membership for ratification.

The AFT’s Weingarten said: “This strike may be the first of its kind for teachers in charter schools, but the struggle is strikingly similar to so many public school educators’ across the United States. The educators at UNO/Acero saw that their union was the vehicle to help strengthen their students’ educational opportunities and help get equity and fairness for themselves and their colleagues. When they couldn’t achieve it after seven months at the bargaining table, they took to the streets in the bitter cold and snow to strengthen their schools, and our union nationwide and the Chicago community stood with them.

“Educators fought for more classroom resources, smaller class sizes, sanctuary protections for their immigrant students and fair wages, including a stronger career path for paraprofessionals, with no loss of instructional time. And make no mistake: This strike was also about rejecting a charter school model that puts administrators and profits over students and educators. If charters are here to stay, they need to provide the learning and teaching conditions for kids to thrive.

“The past week was an inspiring lesson in what unionism is all about: to achieve together what can’t be achieved alone—in this case, better teaching and learning conditions for their kids. When we join together to fight for our values, and those aspirations and values are just, we win. And the community wins.

“Whether it’s confronting a charter school network in Chicago, a school district in Los Angeles, or state governments in West Virginia, Oklahoma or Arizona, teachers around the country are coming together for their kids’ futures. And when they do, working people and the entire U.S. labor movement will have their backs.”

Baumgarten, a bargaining committee member and fifth-grade teacher at Carlos Fuentes Elementary, said: “We are excited to be able to come to an agreement and suspend the strike. We were able to secure the best possible agreement for students and staff, one that will provide more resources for our students, because of member activism and the solidarity of parents and staff.”

The CTU’s Sharkey said: “This was the culmination of our vision over more than a decade of organizing. Our vision is that educators at charter schools and at Chicago Public Schools have common interests. We live in the same neighborhoods, we teach the same kids, and we wage the same struggles over resources and underfunding.

“We are now a movement that commands national attention and can stop a city. We are united with each other and with parents and teachers and workers across Chicago. The message to educators at charters is that if you want smaller classes, a voice on the job and higher pay, give the union a call. We won because we talked to our co-workers, raised our voice and were willing to strike. We have a movement to make public education and our schools a better place, but we also don’t think it’s fair that kids are locked in border camps. Today is just the beginning.”

The 1.7 million-member AFT represents 7,500 members at 236 charter schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Since the summer of 2017, educators at 11 charter schools have joined the union.

AFT President Randi Weingarten on Human Rights Day

For Immediate Release
December 10, 2018

Contact:
Elena Temple
202-309-4906
etemple@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten on Human Rights Day

WASHINGTON—Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Human Rights Day:

“As we mark the 70th anniversary of Human Rights Day, we note the escalating crises both here in the United States and abroad that threaten the rights of human beings to live safely and peacefully. One only need to look at the cruel and inhumane treatment of the children and refugees who have been caged and attacked with tear gas at the U.S.-Mexico border to know that as global citizens, we have a long way to go before every world community affords all people respect, dignity and impartial justice.

“The principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remind us that all humans are born free and equal; have the right to life, liberty and security; and shall not be subject to torture or to inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. As educators, healthcare professionals and public employees, we vow to stand up for those ideals, and to fight against injustice and cruelty whenever we see it, here at home and around the globe.

“Earlier this year, the AFT filed formally a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Council to protest the treatment of refugees at the southern U.S. border and the indefinite separation of immigrant families on American soil. Today, more than 60 human and civil rights organizations have joined the complaint, and more than 25,000 individuals have co-signed our petition, including educators from around the world, calling for the immediate reunification of and justice for those families. We also continue to provide a host of classroom resources for educators and their immigrant students here in the United States in the face of increasingly hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric from the White House.

“Threats to human rights take many forms: from hate speech and racism and anti-Semitic violence in churches and synagogues and on college campuses, to the murdering of U.S. journalists abroad,
to sexual assault and harassment against women, to the bigoted banning of immigrants and
refugees from Muslim countries, to the separate and unequal treatment of black and brown
children here in the United States, whether they’re detained at the border or attending schools that
lack the resources for school nurses and updated textbooks. Today, we commit to honoring
diversity as a strength, teaching tolerance and acceptance for all human rights, and creating a world
where no person has to live in fear.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten and Wisconsin Union Leaders Reject Wisconsin Republican Power Grab

For Immediate Release
December 5, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten and Wisconsin Union Leaders Reject Wisconsin Republican Power Grab

WASHINGTON—Following the lame-duck Wisconsin state Legislature’s vote to strip newly elected Democratic leaders of their power before they even take office, labor leaders are speaking out on behalf of Wisconsin’s voters.

AFT President Randi Weingarten said: “Elections have consequences. When the people of Wisconsin cast their ballots last month, they made a clear choice to reject the slash-and-burn politics of Gov. Scott Walker in favor of Tony Evers. They voted for a Democratic agenda to provide the people of Wisconsin with access to affordable healthcare and high-quality public education. They voted for a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

“In a democracy, you don’t get to change the rules just because you don’t like the results of an election.”

AFT-Wisconsin President Kim Kohlhaas said: “The people of Wisconsin don’t want this. We’ve lived through years of attacks on our collective bargaining rights, cuts to our healthcare, and tax breaks for the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. Now, Republicans are trying to strip us of our voice in the state government, which we won back because we saw how dangerous their policies are to working families. We worked hard to elect Tony Evers, and we’ll fight back against these efforts to strip him of his ability to fight for us.”

Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Candice Owley said: “Wisconsin Republicans are ignoring the will of the people who teach their kids, take care of their families when they’re sick, and instruct at the state’s universities—the very people who voted them out of office in favor of real problem solvers who get the needs of everyday people and want to help them. Those voices won’t be silenced by an authoritarian attempt to install power, instead of electing it.”

AFT’s Weingarten on Chicago Charter School Strike’s National Implications

For Immediate Release
December 5, 2018

Contact:
Andrew Crook
607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT’s Weingarten on Chicago Charter School Strike’s National Implications

CHICAGO—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after more than 500 educators at Chicago’s Acero charter school network struck yesterday over better teaching and learning conditions for children and fair pay for themselves. It is the first-ever strike by charter school educators in U.S. history. Weingarten was on the picket line alongside the striking teachers and paraprofessionals, who are members of the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the AFT.

“This strike is about educators fighting for the teaching and learning conditions kids need, no matter what public school they attend. It’s why the broader education community in Chicago and throughout the country is standing shoulder to shoulder with them.

“Just like their peers who walked out for their students this year, the Acero educators would rather be in the classroom teaching, but they made the collective decision to use their union as a vehicle to stand up for what’s right: sanctuary supports, special education resources, career ladders for paraprofessionals, smaller class sizes and comparable wages so their schools can retain good teachers year after year.

“Educators want the same things for their kids no matter where they teach—whether it’s a district school or a charter school, whether it’s in West Virginia or Chicago. They want to feel like they have the support and resources they need to help their students become engaged citizens of the world. Teachers walk out for their kids when they’re left with no other choice.

“This strike is also about questioning a charter school model that seeks to run education as a business rather than a contribution to our kids’ futures. Acero executives are more interested in profits than students: Acero’s income stream of public dollars has risen by more than $10 million this year, while management has slashed support for frontline services by more than $1 million.

Meanwhile, educators are paid less than their Chicago Public Schools colleagues, despite working a longer day and longer year in crowded classrooms.

“The key to a vibrant, strong school community is a strong teaching force in the classroom—with educators who have a voice and are paid fairly, special education programs that are fairly funded, class sizes that are small enough to meet students’ needs, immigrant kids who are protected, and restorative justice practices that respect the diversity of the families who live there.

“In this country, we make a commitment to educate every child the same way, no matter where they live and what school they go to. These teachers are walking that walk, and it’s time management gave them the tools they need to do it.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten Urges Needed Changes to NAFTA 2.0

For Immediate Release
November 30, 2018

Contact:
Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten Urges Needed Changes to NAFTA 2.0

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten declared that in its current form, President Trump’s new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (also referred to as NAFTA 2.0) needs continued negotiations, saying enforcement is paramount.

“On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to fight for the ‘forgotten man and woman,’ but this trade deal has the potential to leave far too many of those people behind, marking another broken promise from this administration to the working people of this country.

“NAFTA 2.0 lacks serious language to enforce labor protections and has the potential to leave out public sector workers entirely. It keeps the door open for corporations to continue sending jobs to Mexico, where, too often, wages are cruelly low and workplace safety is tragically neglected. It doesn’t do enough to protect LGBT workers and takes a step backward on improving access to affordable medications by putting the needs of big pharmaceutical companies over those of consumers.

“We agree that Trump’s new version of NAFTA has some improvements, but it doesn’t thwart the offshoring of American jobs. Working men and women need a better deal than what they were handed today. They need serious changes that will truly protect them, their jobs and their communities.”