This power—of individual members to help transform the American Federation of Teachers into an even more effective and influential force—was the focus of the AFT convention held this July in Boston. In my keynote address, I asked delegates to say “Count Me In!” (the theme of this year’s convention) by getting involved in strengthening our union. I am asking each and every AFT member to do the same. The stakes are too high for any of us to do otherwise.

All constituencies of the AFT and the people we serve have suffered in recent years from wrong-headed, shortsighted or harmful policies. Teachers unions have become frequent targets of right-wing attacks, and other constituency groups the AFT represents also face challenges to their union rights. AFT Healthcare members are concerned about a National Labor Relations Board ruling (which was pending at presstime) that could deny charge nurses, and perhaps other workers, the protections of union membership. In higher education, graduate teaching assistants at private universities have been denied the right to organize. And the recent loss of collective bargaining rights for state employees in Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri has caused alarm for public employees nationwide.

Through contractual, political and legislative means, the AFT and our affiliates are working to stem the tide of these attacks. But our most powerful asset is you—the members who make up this union and who, through your individual actions, have the power to bring about real change.

An example is our union’s Activists for Congressional Education (ACE) program, which provides a channel for AFT members and leaders to build relationships with members of Congress in their home districts to talk about priority issues for the AFT. And, through the AFT e-Activist program, our members have sent more than 50,000 letters to Capitol Hill in support of AFT’s positions on key bills before Congress.

The aim is to elect significant numbers of people who share our goals and priorities. We have a golden opportunity to create a sweeping change in this country—to sweep out of office those who would undermine the role of government to promote the common good, those who would destroy public education and the union movement, and those who would take away retirement and healthcare benefits. We will start with this November’s congressional and gubernatorial elections and end in two years when we put a friend of all we stand for in the White House. It’s not going to be easy, and it won’t happen at all unless AFT members say, “Count me in!”

There are many ways AFT members can make our union stronger. In addition to political activity, members can join local union committees, help with organizing campaigns, become work-site representatives and invite fellow union members to become more engaged in union activities.

The AFT will continue to do all we can to advance the priorities and values that are so important to our members and those we serve. But there are limits to what unions can do without an involved membership. We have
to make sure that members
don’t look at union membership more as a way to receive services than as a way to be part of a cause.
I hope that, when it comes to being a part of the AFT’s noble and important cause, you will exercise your power and say: “Count me in!”