Yesterday’s Detroit Federation of Teachers May membership meeting provided an amazing evening of solidarity and information sharing. I want to thank everyone who attended and took part in the discussions around the work we are doing together.
I want to give a special shout-out to our team of Education Advocates, who led a portion of the meeting to update everyone on the various actions members have taken over the past week as part of our Lansing fight-back efforts. The advocates challenged all members to stay engaged and mobilized in our fight forward. The Education Advocates’ PowerPoint can be downloaded here.
Remember, your continued commitment and involvement are essential to building power and a collective voice. We need you to get engaged in the fight.
Join us for phone banking at AFT Michigan
Sign up for a two-hour shift starting tomorrow, Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday, May 16, through Thursday, May 19, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Help make calls to members and others who live in congressional districts with influential legislators to get supporters who will stand with us in urging lawmakers to oppose the House bills. AFT Michigan is located at 2661 E. Jefferson Ave., and parking is at the rear of the building (Larned St.).
Participate in Labor to Neighbor community walks
Come out and go door-to-door with us to have conversations with neighbors about how we can save our city’s neighborhood public schools. Walks will launch from AFT Michigan this Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Join with the Arab American community to help renovate Cody High School
Lend your support to a group of 400 community and student volunteers Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in a renovation project at the Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody Rouge High School and Stein Park, 18445 Cathedral St. The project is part of an annual day of service led by the National Network for Arab American Communities, and will include making repairs to ceilings, installing bathroom doors, painting, refurbishing outdoor courts and gardening.
Hold a Labor and Education in the Pulpit event
Sign up to help educate and mobilize parents and community members at local houses of worship to be part of our Labor in the Pulpit program. For more information, call the DFT office at 313-875-3500. We will provide informational materials and handouts.
Finally, while the district has issued a statement that contract negotiations will be delayed, the DFT will continue to prepare for bargaining. When the time comes, we will be ready to put forward proposals that reflect our collective priorities and input from the community. We will continue to meet with our community allies to solidify the partnership that exists among parents, educators and community members.
Let me assure you that we expect to secure, in a timely manner, a new contract that is good for our students, fair to educators and gives Detroit the schools we all deserve.
In solidarity,
Ivy Bailey