"This is a crisis year," observed AFT vice president Maureen Dinnen, former president of Florida Education Association United, in her introduction for the Saturday morning plenary session entitled "The Imperative of Political Action 2004". John Ost, AFT director of political and legislative mobilization, followed with an overview of the national political picture and AFT's election strategy.

With the stakes so high and the presidential race currently at a dead heat, said Ost, the labor movement has no room for error. Using the techniques that have worked for us in the past—face-to-face contacts with colleagues, friends, neighbors and family; leafleting; and signing up voters—we must increase support for our candidates by 5 percent.

The 2004 election will be critical in determining the nation's direction over the next four years, especially for higher education. Government regulations currently being discussed could shape policies on college budgets, financial aid and the ability of unions to organize. Dinnen and Ost charged AFT leaders and members to get involved and to increase their political activism.

The plenary was followed by two rounds of mini-workshops on key aspects of political action programs, including structuring a COPE operation, raising money for political action, shaping a message, lobbying legislators and motivating members to get involved in politics. [Lindsay Albert]

[March 22, 2004]