News from AFT Retirees Archive

AFT members will join with allies nationwide on Oct. 18 for a “No Kings” day of action—gathering in every corner of America to defend our freedoms, our democracy and our future. Together, we will say loud and clear: No thrones. No crowns. No kings. We are building community, not division, and demanding dignity, affordability and opportunity for all. Find an event near you.

 

President Donald Trump and Dr. Mehmet Oz want to let artificial intelligence choose which procedures Medicare will cover for individual patients—with insurance companies being paid based on how much money they save by denying people coverage. AI shouldn’t be in charge of determining who gets care and who doesn’t. We must tell Congress to oppose this erosion of our traditional Medicare. Tell lawmakers in Congress to do everything they can to oppose the expansion of prior authorization in traditional Medicare.

 

At a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Sept. 4, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled by lawmakers about troubling changes in public health policy—everything from controversial vaccine guidance and top-level resignations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to who can still get a COVID-19 booster. But instead of clear answers, Kennedy spread misinformation. This AFT Voices post shares a breakdown of his top false claims—and what the facts really are.  

 

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus writes, “Even in these trying times, my heritage is my superpower. The vibrant energy of our cultura, the steadying force of our ancestors and the blazing ambition we have for the communities we build in the United States all inspire me every day. Nosotros somos poderosos!”

 

The AFT Book Club is turning the tables; this time, AFT President Randi Weingarten is in the author’s seat. Join us Sunday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. EDT for a free, for-credit webinar featuring a conversation on Weingarten’s new book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers. We’ll explore how attacks on teachers, libraries, unions and the working class are part of a broader playbook to weaken democracy—and what we can do about it. Hear strategies for organizing with families, defending inclusive and honest education, and building a stronger democracy for all. Register now.

 

Some AFT members were working at ground zero on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, when two hijacked planes took down the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. Some AFT members rushed to care for the first responders. And some of today’s AFT members were not yet born. Read this retrospective on the heroic and caring actions of AFT members in the aftermath of the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.