Weingarten Responds to Betsy DeVos’ Lies about Teachers Unions

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2019

Contact:
Andrew Crook
o: 202-393-8637
c: 607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

Weingarten Responds to Betsy DeVos’ Lies about Teachers Unions

WASHINGTON—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos falsely implied teachers unions had lost members in the wake of the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court decision:

“Betsy DeVos is wrong—again. While Betsy, who has made no secret of her anti-union agenda and Janus cheerleading, may wish the decision defunded and destabilized us, it hasn’t—far from it. Instead, it’s been a ‘which side are you on?’ moment.

“The reality is the AFT has added 100,000 members from February 2018 to February 2019, and we’ve tallied 14 organizing wins since June. We are close to 1.7 million members again and have added a quarter of a million members in the last decade.

“The real reason DeVos is attacking us is because her antipathy toward public schools, public school children and the Special Olympics has been on front street this week. Her disastrous testimony before Congress showed just how far she would go to privatize the schools that 91 percent of kids attend. Betsy isn’t concerned about fixing mold and crumbling classrooms because it gets in the way of her political project to syphon public money into private hands. And she wants to silence people like us who champion the aspirations of working families for a better life.

“Just think about her comments yesterday: When asked about funding school infrastructure to fix crumbling buildings, clean up mold and replace lead pipes so that kids don’t get poisoned or develop respiratory illnesses, she said she’d rather spend that money on charters and vouchers.

“DeVos’ entire term as education secretary has been about putting her thumb on the scale against public schools and public education. The wave of walkouts over the past year shows educators and the American people won’t stand for it—and are mobilizing in the millions to defend the kids and communities she desperately wants to undermine.”

Court Delivers Victory for Unions to Protect Democracy in Wisconsin

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2019

Contact:
Sarah Hager
202-393-5684
shager@aft.org
www.aft.org

Court Delivers Victory for Unions to Protect Democracy in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON—In a significant victory for Wisconsin voters, a circuit court judge has ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by AFT-Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization, the Service Employees International Union Local 1, and the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.

The suit, filed on behalf of educators, nurses and other working people in the state, challenged the constitutionality of laws enacted by the Republican lame-duck state Legislature following the party’s loss of the governorship in November 2018—laws that attempted to limit Gov. Tony Evers’ power before he assumed office.

In response to the victory, the union’s leaders issued the following statements:

AFT President Randi Weingarten said: “Today, democracy prevailed, as the courts in Wisconsin heeded the will of the voters and stopped the outgoing governor from undermining the duly elected new governor. In November, Wisconsin voters took to the polls and made it clear that they rejected the divisive and regressive politics of Scott Walker. They voted for a better life for all, including affordable healthcare, so no one is one illness from bankruptcy, and for high-quality public education, so every child has access to a brighter future. But the former governor and the lame-duck GOP legislative majority have other ideas.

Under the cover of night, the Republican lame-duck Legislature tried to fundamentally alter Wisconsin’s government by granting itself powers belonging to a democratically elected governor. This decision tells that handful of legislators: No, no, no—you cannot arbitrarily change laws, nullify the outcome of the election, and silence the voice of the people.”

AFT-Wisconsin President Kim Kohlhaas said: “Our members fought hard to turn the tide of democracy in the midterm election. We voted for Gov. Evers because we knew he could deliver on a promise forgotten during the tenure of Scott Walker—putting the well-being of communities first. Today, with the law on our side, our fight to provide every Wisconsinite with access to a public education, affordable healthcare and a decent job continues.”

Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Candice Owley said: “Today’s ruling is a win for the people of Wisconsin, who fight every day for affordable and accessible healthcare. In 2018, voters made their stance clear: Wisconsin will stand up for democracy and not let the power of a few drown out the voices of many. With this decision, we are on the right path to restoring a balance of power in our state politics so that the will of the people can be realized.”

SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin President Ramon Argandona said: “This is a victory for democracy for the working people of Wisconsin. We filed this complaint to ensure that union members and working people who elected Gov. Tony Evers into office have their voices heard and have a fair shot at a decent future. We can’t move forward in Wisconsin when power grabs like this block progress.”
###

AFT’s Weingarten on Kamala Harris’ Plan to Close the Teacher Pay Gap

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2019

Contact:
Andrew Crook
o: 202-393-8637
c: 607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT’s Weingarten on Kamala Harris’ Plan to Close the Teacher Pay Gap

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after Sen. Kamala Harris announced her plan to close the teacher salary funding gap.

“Sen. Harris’ plan is a bold, smart, strategic and decisive proposal that will help make teaching a respected profession by paying teachers a living wage, while incentivizing diversity and high-quality teacher preparation. It will help fund our future by delivering urgently needed help to communities wracked by decades of austerity and underinvestment.

“For every teacher in America and for the 91 percent of kids who attend our public schools, this is one of the most thoughtful initiatives we’ve seen in years. Sen. Harris is making sure that if we say teachers and education are important, we actually treat them that way. While Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos have slashed programs and pushed a federal budget that makes the situation worse, Sen. Harris has crafted a concrete commitment to make things better.

“It’s become increasingly obvious to anyone who cares about education that teachers are bearing the brunt of the disinvestment in public schools: They are paid, on average, 24 percent less than other college graduates. Their overall compensation, including health and pension benefits, is 11 percent less than that of similar professionals. Twenty-five states still spend less on K-12 education than before the 2008 recession. And study after study has shown teachers feel disrespected and isolated from their professional peers.

“Teachers want what students need—and paying teachers a living wage is a commitment to our students’ futures, backed by legislation, not just words and rhetoric. Sen. Harris’ intervention spells out the clear choice faced by all 2020 candidates: whether to invest new resources, or revert to the failed top-down, test-and-punish mentality of decades past.

“Crucially, her plan will supplement, not supplant, state funding and will reward states for increased investment. And it will help address the national teacher shortage. New data out today from the Economic Policy Institute show that crisis is even more acute than previously estimated, with high-poverty schools most affected.

“This proposal will directly address these problems and drive the national conversation about education policy. From West Virginia to California, teachers have shown just how important education investment will be for presidential candidates who want to honor the public’s priorities. We hope other 2020 candidates will follow Sen. Harris’ lead.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten Condemns ‘Execution-Style’ Active Shooter Drills

For Immediate Release
March 24, 2019

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

AFT President Randi Weingarten Condemns ‘Execution-Style’ Active Shooter Drills

WASHINGTON—In response to recent reports of teachers being led into a room, told to crouch down, and shot with projectile pellets during an active shooter drill at an elementary school in Indiana, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement:

“What happened recently in Indiana was inhumane and abusive, and should never happen again. It leaves many educators—some of whom have formed human shields to protect their students from gun violence—wondering what they’ll be asked to do next to keep classrooms safe until elected officials put laws in place to actually help curb gun violence in America. This entire experience provides a stark contrast to New Zealand where, just last week, legislators banned assault rifles after the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch.

“Active shooter drills are necessary, but this episode makes it obvious that clear safety protocols developed in partnership between law enforcement and the school community are necessary, much like what was modeled by the safety committee in Newtown, Conn., after the shooting at Sandy Hook. And while training on lockout procedures, evacuation procedures and emergency medical response is critical to giving educators the tools they need to protect their students, we must also rely on the intervention strategies that we know really work: red-flag laws that allow adults to intervene when they see warning signs, stronger background checks so guns don’t wind up in the hands of the wrong people, plus meaningful threat assessments and upgrades to school security, including interior door locks that can actually stop a shooter from entering.

“Rather than dealing with the underlying issues that make people less safe in the first place, drills like those used in Indiana just put more people at risk.”

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on President Donald Trump's Executive Order on Free Speech

For Immediate Release
March 21, 2019

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

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on President Donald

Trump's Executive Order on Free Speech

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after President
Trump signed an executive order on free speech on college and university campuses:

“President Trump’s concept of free speech is speech that he agrees with, which is, in fact, the
antithesis of what the First Amendment seeks to protect. He has repeatedly indicated his interest in
‘shutting down’ journalists and media outlets that criticize him, and he uses hateful and many
times inciteful words on a daily and public basis. With a track record like this, there is no reason to
believe that the speech he wants to ‘protect’ on college campuses won’t both suppress speech and
enable incitement. If the framers of the Constitution were alive today, they would tell President
Trump: ‘No, no, no, sir. You can’t use executive orders to suppress the speech of those with whom
you disagree.’

“As educators, we are staunch supporters of a free exchange of ideas, the free expression that is
crucial to intellectual discourse, and the responsibility that all speech must be coupled with an
ability to reject that which will incite hatred or violence. Free and unfettered speech is supposed to
be exactly that—free and unfettered—not subject to executive branch policing and interference.

“This order also sets a dangerous precedent that makes public activities at our nation’s colleges and
universities susceptible to punitive action if they don’t meet a predetermined, purposefully
ambiguous benchmark set by a White House with a very obvious political agenda. When schools are
committed to civilized discussion and debate, we should be investing in more research to defend
those democratic ideals, not denying them resources.”

AFT Lays Out Path to 2020 Presidential Endorsement

For Immediate Release
March 20, 2019

Contact:
Andrew Crook
o: 202-393-8637
c: 607-280-6603
acrook@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT Lays Out Path to 2020 Presidential Endorsement

Engagement and Energy Crucial to Evaluate Candidates who Walk the Walk forMembers and the Community

WASHINGTON— The American Federation of Teachers has launched its largest and deepest political endorsement effort ahead of the pivotal 2020 presidential election.

The 1.7 million-member union, comprising 3,500 locals, went live today with a website, AFTvotes.org, and kicked off its inaugural “Walk a Day” campaign to invite candidates to spend a day in the shoes of an AFT member to better understand the challenges and issues our members face in the workplace.

The AFT Votes website includes extensive information on how members can actively participate throughout the endorsement process. It will help members learn more about the candidates and gauge where they stand on key issues, provide resources for members running for office, and more.

AFT members are K-12 teachers and paraprofessionals, healthcare workers, higher education faculty and staff, and public employees who, according to President Randi Weingarten, “reflect the heart and soul of this country.”

Earlier this year, the AFT executive council passed a unanimous motion to establish guiderails for our 2020 presidential endorsement process, with a specific focus on deep engagement and honest conversations before any decision can be made. Members are encouraged to consult directly and extensively with campaigns and only come together behind a candidate when the time is right.

Last night, 30,000 members and activists joined a national telephone town hall to discuss and debate the process.

“Our No. 1 goal is to elect a President who reflects our values and that means beating Donald Trump in 2020,” Weingarten said. “But to win our endorsement, candidates will have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. As we look ahead to Election Day, we are committed to engaging our members at every step of the way.”

The 2020 AFT endorsement process will include a formal candidate questionnaire, member surveys, focus groups, informational videos and unprecedented member involvement in campaigns, including town halls, social media forums and other opportunities to participate in the democratic process to decide who will receive the union’s grass-roots and financial support as November 2020 draws closer.

Weingarten added: “Over the next several months, we hope our members and their families and friends will use this process to make clear their aspirations for this country and for a standard bearer to help achieve them. We will work together to get to know the candidates and look for a leader who shares our values, has a likelihood of winning and is committed to helping all of us achieve a better life, a voice at work and power in our democracy.”

Scholarship Opportunity! Keeping Our Faculty of Color & American Indian Faculty Symposium

*** Please share this information with any faculty who may be interested! ***

Colleagues,

Minnesota State’s Office of Equity and Inclusion is partnering with the University of Minnesota to offer the 2019 Keeping our Faculty of Color and American Indian Faculty Symposium, March 31 – April 2, 2019.  Symposium participants will gather to engage cross-disciplinary theories, rigorous scholarship, and innovative practices to advance conceptual, empirical, and practical work to recruit, develop, and retain American Indian faculty and faculty of color. More information about the symposium below.

The Academic and Student Affairs division and the Office of Equity and Inclusion are excited to offer registration scholarships for 20 college or university faculty to attend the Keeping Our Faculty Symposium.

Interested? Please send the following information to Ka Her in the Office of Equity & Inclusion at ka.her@minnstate.edu NO LATER THAN close of business on Thursday, March 21^st as she will handle the registration logistics:

1.       First and Last Name

2.       Email

3.       Organizational affiliation

4.       Note if you need any accessibility accommodations

Any questions?  Contact Ka Her at ka.her@minnstate.edu or 651/201-1863

Keeping Our Faculty VIII: Recruiting, Retaining, Advancing American Indian Faculty and Faculty of Color

March 31 - April 2, 2019

Symposium Goals:

This symposium will bring together scholars, practitioners, and leaders committed to understanding and promoting faculty diversity in academia.

 Our 2019 theme: Power, Policy, and Academic Freedom

Location:

Graduate Hotel 

615 Washington Avenue S.E.

Minneapolis, MN 55414

For more information about KoF: http://idea.umn.edu/symposia/keeping-our-faculty

March 15 edition, Pension Issues in the News

MARCH 15, 2019

MINNESOTA NEWS + OPINION

Retirement planning needs to factor in changing life spans

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Last week I gave a talk at the University of Minnesota on my latest book, ... economics contributor, "Marketplace," commentator, Minnesota Public ...

Teachers Urge Divestment from Private Prisons

Workday Minnesota

A recent two-part report from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) exposes how public pensions are intertwined with some of the most harmful ...

NATIONAL NEWS + OPINION

Rating agencies weigh in on California pension ruling

Bond Buyer

Moody's Investors Service viewed a recent California Supreme Court ruling on public pensions positive for governments in the state while S&P Global ...

Pensions on Main Street

National Public Pension Coalition

Public pensions benefit the economies of local communities, states, and the nation. Our new video highlights the powerful economic impact of ...

Nevada lawmakers want to hide public pension information

Las Vegas Review-Journal

The unfairness of the outrageous pensions provided by our state system is an insult to the hardworking citizens of Nevada. Yes, public servants are ...

What pension ruling means for California taxpayers

OCRegister

Last week, the California Supreme Court issued a ruling in Cal Fire Local 2881 v. CalPERS, a case involving public employee pensions. For taxpayers ...

Pension payments to hold steady for most retired public employees in the WRS, state officials say

Madison.com

Most retired public employees in Wisconsin will get by without a reduction in their pensions this year even though the Wisconsin Retirement System ...

"Go North, Young Man" - To The Wisconsin Public Pension System

Forbes

To parapharase Horace Greeley in his Manifest Destiny exhortation, but for those seeking out well-funded public pension plans, it's time to go north ...

Accounting watchdog group objects to GASB proposal

Accounting Today

GASB invited the public to comment on the proposed standards, and Truth In Accounting CEO Sheila ... Weinberg contends the proposal would be misleading about the true costs of pensions and retiree health care benefits. “It also ...

Kansas Pension Proposal Would Add Long-Term Costs, Debt

Reason Foundation

A 2018 Milliman Public Pension Study of the 100 largest U.S. public pension plans found average discount rates fell from 7.5 percent in 2017 to 7.25 ...

California Public Pension Reformers Win A Battle, Not The War

Forbes

In the news earlier this week, to cite the L.A. Times headline, "California Supreme Court curbs a pension benefit but preserves 'California Rule'.".

Road to solvent Illinois pensions requires tollway lease

Crain's Chicago Business

A public-private partnership generating billions for cash-starved state retirement systems while retaining ownership of this highly valuable public asset ...

What you absolutely need to know about Murphy's budget -- taxes, pensions, spending and weed

NJ.com

Another record-setting public pension payment. Murphy's budget would contribute $3.8 billion to the pension fund for public workers next year — $579 ...

New Policymakers May Revisit Pension Tax

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

The so-called “pension tax” affects a lot of people in Michigan. ... Michigan had fully exempted the defined benefit pensions of public workers from ...

Following teacher 'sickout,' Kentucky administrators protest

Washington Post

The bill comes amid a renewed surge of activism among public school ... Education funding and pensions for teachers have been volatile issues in the ...

California high court says public workers can't pad pensions, sidesteps whether retirement benefits ...

San Francisco Chronicle

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California high court says public workers can't pad pensions, sidesteps whether retirement benefits can be taken away.

State pension fund exceeds benchmark

Providence Business News

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island's pension fund earned $323 million from ... have their public pension systems managed responsibly,” Magaziner said ...

States consider asset transfers to shore up plan funding

Pensions & Investments

And while asset transfers such as these could present issues of their own, more public pension plans are likely to explore this avenue. "There's a ...

Governments Struggle To Find A Way To Pay Retirement Pension Bills

NPR

And now with the retirement of more baby boomers, it's time to pay up. Houston Public Media's Andrew Schneider reports on how one city is trying to ...

Public Pension Trends: What a Finance Officer Should Know

GFOA

What is going on in the world of public pensions? This session will highlight trends seen across pension plans and the implications they have on state ...

Teacher pension costs to drop sharply in 2019-20

Newsday

The cost of teacher pensions will fall substantially for school districts during ... The New York State Teachers' Retirement System, one of the nation's ... over whether retirement systems for teachers and other public employees should ...

Pensions Are To Blame For Extreme Boom/ Bust Cycles: Analyst

ValueWalk

"The problem is that our nation's public pensions have become the dominant global investor, are grossly underfunded and thus have to reach for risk, ...

Is 'Robo-Voting' An Abdication Of Fiduciary Duty?

Forbes

Have you ever been annoyed by “Robo calling”? What about “Robo voting”— a system that many public pension funds use to discharge their ...

Column: Illinois budget debate raises key questions on taxing retirement income

Reuters

The ensuing debate casts a spotlight on an important national conversation ... The federal government taxes income from tax-deferred retirement ...

Warren Buffett discusses 'disaster' contributing to Bay Area exodus in CNBC interview

San Francisco Business Times

Warren Buffett described unfunded public pensions as a “disaster” that companies and individuals must consider when deciding where to expand or ...

Three New Governors Face Three Old Pension Disasters

Bloomberg

None other than Warren Buffett called public pensions a “gigantic financial tapeworm” five years ago. “During the next decade, you will read a lot of ...

Are Illinois Public Retirement Systems Pension Funds Or Pyramid Schemes?

Forbes

The evidence continues to mount: Illinois's new elected officials and their advisors simply don't believe that it matters that public pensions are ...

Partisan sniping follows passage of Kansas pensions measure

KWCH

(AP) - A public pensions funding bill has passed the Kansas Legislature unanimously but touched off partisan sniping. The measure sent Friday to ...

Public pension managers want in on infrastructure

Bond Buyer

WASHINGTON — Public pension funds are taking advantage of the benefits of infrastructure investment, which fund managers say offers a perfect ...

New Kentucky Pension Bill Surfaces, Would Affect Future Teachers

WKU Public Radio

The legislation is the latest attempt to address the low funding levels of Kentucky's retirement systems for public workers by altering benefits. Rep.

North Carolina Retirement Systems posts -1.47% return in 2018

Pensions & Investments

North Carolina Retirement Systems, Raleigh, returned a net -1.47% in 2018, ... The biggest losses were in public equity, 40% of the portfolio, which ...

The Real Problem with the Blue-State Model

City Journal

The high benefit costs set public workers in Connecticut apart from their ... state from altering the rate at which public workers earn retirement credits, ...

Connecticut's Lamont Calls for Pension Changes, Expanded Sales Tax

Wall Street Journal

He also is asking state workers to accept lower cost-of-living adjustments for their pension benefits during years when the public retirement system has ...

Support for Teachers?

Show-Me Institute

A bill to allow Missouri public school teachers to decide for themselves whether they wanted a traditional pension or a 401(k) type retirement benefit ...

Local pensions show good bill of health

Allegheny Institute

The 2019 status report for Pennsylvania's local pension plans has been released. As earlier reports have illustrated, the pension system is actually a ...

State representative says Illinois should ditch pensions for new hires

Illinois News Network

He said he wants public employees to recognize the growing debt and give some, as taxpayers continue to give. If not, there will be consequences.

Public plans surf wave of reforms in aftermath of crisis

Pensions & Investments

After state and local pension fund assets plummeted to $2.17 trillion in ... Another recent concept is mandated stress-testing of public pension funds to .... states like Minnesota, where 2018 reforms that cut assumed rates of return, ...

AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Terrorist Attack at New Zealand Mosques

For Immediate Release
March 15, 2019

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

AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Terrorist Attack at New Zealand Mosques

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the
following statement after 49 people were killed and 20 were seriously injured in two separate
shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand:

“When terrorism enters our houses of worship, it violates our most sacred covenants of peace,
brother- and sisterhood, and safety. Our hearts break today for the people affected by this horrific
act of violence, for the people of New Zealand and for Muslims everywhere who feel afraid to
practice what they believe.

“Religious diversity is what makes us stronger, not weaker. Tolerance is what gives us humanity, not
cruelty. In the wake of this terrible attack, we call on elected officials to commit themselves to
opposing hate speech and hate violence in every form, and we call on citizens of the world to stand
in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors, co-workers, students and friends. May the memories of
the lives lost in this horrific act be a blessing to all of us.”