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AFT Convention Daily: Sunday, July 19, 2026
Top national officers re-elected, recommit to fighting for a better life for all
Signaling their support for the AFT’s commitment to fighting for a better life for all—and to protecting our democracy—delegates re-elected Randi Weingarten as president, Fedrick C. Ingram as secretary-treasurer and Evelyn DeJesus as executive vice president. Additionally, 43 vice presidents were elected to the union’s executive council.
From the shop floor to the Senate floor, union members belong in power
Union members left Sunday morning’s general session with a clear message: When working people hold political power, real change follows. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola and newly elected Texas state Sen. Taylor Rehmet made the case for values-driven leadership, while members were urged to get involved through the AFT’s Count Me In! and Democracy Defenders programs.
To make change, MOVE
MOVE stands for the AFT’s “Mobilize, Organize, Vote, Empower” program—a whopping $3 million in grants to 70 locals and state federations to take on new challenges and exercise their activist muscles. As AFT Vice President and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang noted in Sunday morning’s session, “that kind of capacity-building isn’t optional—it’s essential.”
AFT women’s rights leaders celebrate breaking boundaries
Sunday’s Women’s Rights breakfast honored two champions for justice: Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, senior rabbi emerita at New York’s Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the largest LGBTQIA+ synagogue in the world, with the Lifetime Achievement Award; and Karla Hernández-Mats, past president of United Teachers of Dade and an AFT vice president, with the Women’s Rights Award.
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AFT healthcare members celebrate the wins of the Code Red campaign
AFT nurses and healthcare professionals used the Sunday morning convention session to highlight the growing momentum behind their Code Red campaign, celebrating recent victories while laying out an ambitious agenda to improve safe staffing, protect patient care and hold healthcare corporations accountable.
Sunday’s resolutions focus on affordability, worker safety, well-being and access to healthcare
AFT delegates closed out the 2026 convention by passing 18 resolutions aimed at fighting for a better life for all. From the RNs/Healthcare Workers Committee came resolutions to escalate affiliate Code Red campaigns; increase access to mental health resources and programs for healthcare workers; and advocate for mandated protected time for healthcare professional in-services and mentorship. In resolutions from the Educational Issues Committee, the AFT committed to robust investment in student and educator well-being, early reading instruction and support, and opposing private school vouchers.
Resolutions from the Public Services Committee address the tax gap for working families, expand the AFT’s efforts to prevent workplace violence, and advocate for affordable housing and homeownership. And resolutions passed from the Retirement Committee pledge to organize and activate retiree chapters nationwide and fight for responsible stewardship of public pension funds and investments.
The Healthcare Access/Quality Committee resolutions aim to actively oppose the financialization of healthcare and protect essential health services; expand healthcare access and health equity for LGBTQIA+ communities; and fight gun violence in schools and workplaces. And from the Women’s Rights Committee came resolutions to defend reproductive health and gender-affirming care and support shield protections, fight for publicly funded universal childcare, and strengthen support services for veterans and active-duty service members.
Worth checking out
- Get all the news about the AFT convention on our website, including videos and daily updates.
- View today's photo gallery.
This daily update is produced by the AFT communications department.