Pro-labor lawmakers help boost workers' rights
Measures that make it easier for workers to form unions are on the rise

If you've ever wondered why the AFT and its affiliates are involved in political and legislative action, it's because the people voted into office at every level of government make decisions that affect the work, resources and rights of AFT members on the job.

Lawmakers endorsed by AFT affiliates in recent elections have given workers a boost over the past year. Most recently, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation giving public employees the freedom to form a union when a majority of workers sign union authorization cards.

"The candidate you vote for does matter, because this bill had been vetoed by Republican Gov. Mitt Romney," explains Michael Canavan, field representative for legislation at AFT Massachusetts, "and with the election of Gov. Patrick we were able to secure his signature on the bill."

Canavan notes that in 2000 the union had secured "card check," as majority authorization often is referred to, for charter school employees working in schools authorized after 2000. The new law extends the same card-check procedures to all public employees—and all charter schools, even those authorized prior to 2000. Moreover, the new law eases card-check provisions. Under the 2000 bill for charter schools, 60 percent of eligible members had to sign authorization cards for unionization. The new law requires signed authorization cards by only 51 percent of a bargaining unit's prospective members.

The new law is important because it allows employees to secure collective bargaining rights faster, Canavan says.
Gov. Patrick's endorsement of the majority-authorization legislation follows enactment of similar measures this past summer in New Hampshire and Oregon.

The AFT and other unions have lobbied for majority-authorization laws, which eliminate the time-consuming and costly ballot elections that give employers more time to harass and intimidate workers during a union election campaign.

The Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Oregon laws are similar to the majority sign-up provisions for private sector workers that were part of the 2007 federal Employee Free Choice Act. The federal measure cleared the U.S. House of Representatives in March but failed to secure the 60 votes in the Senate needed to invoke cloture and allow a vote on the bill.

Local's donation a show of support for school uniform policy

Students in Anderson, Ind., returned to school sporting a new look this fall—uniforms. All students are now required to conform to a new dress code that requires uniforms. In a show of support for the new policy, the Anderson Federation of Teachers donated $50,000 to provide free uniforms to students in need.

"We were the driving force behind the uniform policy—we planted the seed," says Anderson local president Rick Muir. "This is our way of showing support for it with more than words."

The federation, which represents 810 teachers, paraprofessionals and other support staff, used money from its general fund, says Muir.

An area organization, the Madison County Community Foundation, announced it would match the local union's contribution and any other donations from the community up to $71,500. The money will provide a set of clothes—pants, skirts and shirts—for more than 1,600 students in the Anderson school district who qualify for free or reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program.