McElroy hosts "Web meeting"

Monthly sessions let state feds know about initiatives

A monthly Internet-based meeting is giving AFT state federation presidents one more way to communicate directly with the national union and AFT president Edward J. McElroy.

Launched in November, the webcast combines audio teleconferencing with the ability to share documents and other data through the Web.

The webcast is a two-way communications system that increases state federation presidents’ access to the AFT leadership and to union resources. AFT secretary-treasurer Nat LaCour and executive vice president Antonia Cortese also participate in the webcast.

Materials are shared with participants through Powerpoint presentations and other software. There is also a tool that allows the host of the webcast to conduct online polls during the meeting.

Among the items on the agenda at the first meeting were recent changes in IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act); an evaluation of the November state federation presidents’ conference in New Orleans; and preparation of “Joining Voices: Inclusive Strategies for Labor’s Renewal,” a working paper the AFT was requested to prepare by the AFL-CIO for its upcoming discussion on strengthening the labor movement.

The December meeting included an update on the neAft partnership and a debriefing on the union’s efforts in the 2004 presidential campaign. More than 25 state federation presidents and other state staff and leaders have participated in the first two webcasts. AFT regional directors were invited to participate in the December session.

The sessions end with an “open forum” where participants can raise other issues and concerns.

Don’t wait, apply now for AFT scholarships 

Are you attending school to advance your career or to become a better representative for the union? Is there a graduating senior in your family? Would you like help with the cost of tuition? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then you may want to apply for the 2005 Robert G. Porter Scholars Program. The competition is open to all AFT members and the children of AFT members who will be graduating from high school in 2005. The program, which was established in 1992 to honor Porter, who served as AFT secretary-treasurer from 1963 until his death in 1991, provides four $8,000 scholarships to graduating seniors and 10 one-time $1,000 grants to AFT members who are continuing their education. Application forms can be downloaded online at www.aft.org/aftplus/scholarships. To obtain a form by mail, write to: American Federation of Teachers, Robert G. Porter Scholars Program, 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20001. Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2005.