Labor

WHEREAS, the prospects for a decent retirement for most Americans is shrinking, including many working families that are not saving at all and are woefully unprepared for retirement; and

WHEREAS, it is time for our country to commit to moving from retirement security for just a lucky few to retirement security for all; and

WHEREAS, many Americans lack access to a retirement savings plan through an employer; and

WHEREAS, the AFL-CIO is the labor center for American workers and fights tirelessly for economic justice and civil, labor and human rights for workers across the world; and

WHEREAS, it is more important than ever in the current environment for labor to stand strong with all members of our community in the continuing fight for economic, social and racial justice; and

WHEREAS, when educators and all working people join together in a union, we all win better wages, health care, benefits and retirement protections; and

WHEREAS, AFSA understands that attacks on unions, including the Janus v. AFSCMEU.S. Supreme Court case, as well as schemes to prohibit payroll deduction, require annual union recertification and the elimination of collective bargaining rights, are constant threats to our ability to negotiate for these basic rights; and

WHEREAS,the American Federation of School Administrators has, during the past several years, developed action partnerships with other prominent national organizations representing school leaders, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), to represent a united front when speaking in front of Congress, and

WHEREAS, when working people have a seat at the table, we have a voice in the agenda; and

WHEREAS, over the past four years, the AFL-CIO, along with the AFL-CIO state federations and affiliated unions, have focused on recruiting labor candidates and winning elections across the country;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that AFSA encourages more of our members to run for public office by creating state-level programs to train and support labor candidates.

All workers, union and non-union, public and private, have their workplace rights up for grabs, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre says.

Sometime this month, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide if workers still have a right to a voice in the workplace, he told the American Constitution Society, a coalition of progressive attorneys and jurists, including pro-worker labor lawyers. Gebre did not differentiate between classes or types of workers.

The way Gebre and many union leaders see it, the answer to that question will be no.