National union's task force supporting efforts of state and local affiliates

Despite the difficult situation confronting them and their members, leaders of the United Teachers of New Orleans (UTNO) and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) have continued to be aggressive advocates for school personnel and children. The two AFT affiliates have challenged the state’s decision to convert most Orleans Parish schools to charter schools and are actively advocating on behalf of their members in talks with city and state officials.

The AFT is supporting these efforts through its UTNO/LFT Task Force, which has been set up to help ensure that LFT and UTNO have access to the services and resources they need from the national union. The task force has worked with the affiliates on a charter school organizing and educational strategy, and is helping them secure their members’ ongoing contractual rights.

Working hand-in-hand with LFT president Steven Monaghan and Brenda Mitchell, president of UTNO, the task force is also addressing members’ concerns regarding healthcare benefits, the status of the UTNO Credit Union and other issues on which the unions intend to remain an effective and forceful voice. Mitchell is tentatively planning a series of meetings in towns and cities with a high concentration of displaced UTNO members, where she will share information and answer members’ questions.

One of the top agenda items for LFT and UTNO is the reopening of schools in New Orleans. While several schools were reopened by early January, UTNO believes more schools can and should be reopened, and that those schools’ employees should be covered by the union’s contract. UTNO, which is currently located in Baton Rouge, La., has built a broad-based coalition of religious, labor and civic leaders who support its efforts to make opening  schools a priority in the plans to rebuild New Orleans.