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AFT Convention Daily: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Building people power for the battles ahead
Saturday morning’s session centered on the vital importance of reaching out to our communities to find common cause and build power. The thread connecting all speakers: Community engagement is no longer optional. It’s essential. The morning’s main event: a high-energy, lessons-learned panel on building community alliances and people power, moderated by AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus.
Choosing humanity in divided times
As antisemitism and Islamophobia rise and conversations about both grow more fraught, Jewish and Muslim leaders took the stage at the AFT convention with a clear message: Silence doesn’t protect communities—connection does. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and Debbie Almontaser, founder and CEO of the Bridging Cultures Group, joined AFT President Randi Weingarten for a candid conversation about hate, solidarity and how educators can facilitate difficult conversations that don’t lead to division.
Parents Circle – Families Forum encourages people to listen with empathy
The AFT partnered with the Parents Circle – Families Forum to provide free online resources on Share My Lesson that teach students (and adults) how to listen to each other with empathy, have meaningful dialogue and focus on our shared humanity.
Dolores Huerta honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Dolores Huerta, the civil rights icon who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America—which fights for the rights, safety, power and dignity of agricultural workers—was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the AFT convention.
CTE builds essential life skills
On Saturday afternoon at the AFT’s 2026 convention, high schoolers from Yonkers, N.Y., shared about their experiences with career and technical education at the Robert Halmi Sr. Academy of Film and Television. Their stories highlight that CTE is about more than technical skills and career preparation—it helps students learn who they are, discover new dreams and get inspired to change the world.
Higher ed and education support staff shine at AFT convention
On Saturday afternoon, the Higher Education Committee spoke to delegates about the AFT and the American Association of University Professors’ “A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education” and the importance of making higher education a key issue in the 2026 midterms. And with a crowd of education support staff standing before them waving fans, delegates agreed that paraprofessionals and school-related personnel should get the dignity, respect and paychecks they deserve.
Delegates pass 17 resolutions, from building worker power to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community
AFT delegates were hard at work on Saturday, passing 17 resolutions from six committees. From the Organizing and Collective Bargaining Committee came resolutions to build worker power; to fight government weaponization of teacher salaries; and to strengthen collective bargaining rights for federal sector employees. In resolutions from the Labor and the Economy Committee, the AFT determined to ensure that artificial intelligence serves the common good; to fight for affordability and financial security; and to declare May 1 a Day of Civic Action.
From the Human Rights Committee came resolutions that affirm the AFT’s solidarity with immigrant communities; support of the LGBTQIA+ community; and honor the life of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson. Resolutions from the International Relations Committee call for an immediate end to the war with Iran and Lebanon and an investigation into U.S. noncompliance with child labor laws.
Resolutions from the Higher Education Committee center building pre-contract union locals; creating due process contract language for contingent faculty; and restoring public funding to minority-serving institutions. Finally, resolutions from the Schools and Colleges Support Staff Issues Committee call for supporting paraprofessionals and school-related personnel by fighting for universal wage bargaining, a national PSRP week, and strong legislation and collective bargaining agreements.
Worth checking out
- Get all the news about the AFT convention on our website, including videos and daily updates.
- View today's photo gallery.
- See what people are sharing on Instagram: Mrs. Frazzled, Miss Redacted and Eliza Orlins.
This daily update is produced by the AFT communications department.