Mark your calendars for the 2024 Metro Detroit Labor Day Parade: Monday, September 2, 2024.  Our section will line up at Trumbull and Michigan starting at 7:00 a.m. At 9 a.m., we will march to Roosevelt Park (Michigan Central train station) where there will be a labor program. After the parade, AFT Michigan members and families are invited to stop by our building (2661 E. Jefferson) for an informal BBQ before heading home. ​The DFT will be participating in the parade and we will be carrying our banner.  Join us in solidarity and wear your red DFT t-shirt.

There's been so much buzz about the NFL Draft in Detroit. But, we're proud of the impact we have made, by giving our community access to over 50,000 free, high-quality books to educators and families over the past few years.  

Thank you to everyone for coming out to Temple of Faith Baptist Church and/or the Hamtramck Community Center. For the Detroit event of Reading Opens the World, we gave away 10,000+ books, had a voter registration table, Author Ellen Morgan, Ed. D read her children's book Ellie's Formal Table, Poet Jessica Care Moore recited her poem I used to be a roller coaster girl, Marktoons Caricatures (Mark Barry)  drew for students,writing journals for students to create and illustrate their own books, goodie bags, popcorn, and to top it off, a visit by AFT National Secretary-Treasurer, Fedrick Ingram.

Our success is because of our DFT members who took the time to tell families about the event and came out themselves. The members volunteered many hours opening boxes, setting up the stations and working the event. We cannot compete with professional football but that doesn't stop us!  As member after member told us, "This was awesome!"

Enjoy your books!

Arrive early! See you all there!

The district’s proposed layoffs for our Attendance Agents have been rescinded. Formal notification will be forthcoming from DPSCD. We will continue our negotiations with the District regarding the issues related to this concern and will provide it to you as it becomes available. This is a victory we are celebrating with you.

Congratulations to President Donna Jackson, Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals, Local 2350, for receiving the inaugural Ruby Newbold award at this year's AFT PSRP Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Donna has served as DFP president for the past 13 years, having started her career in the district in 2005. The DFP represents paraeducators, noon hour aides, and school culture facilitators in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Upon receiving this award, Donna says she was so surprised and honored. What makes this even more special is the connection between Donna Jackson and Ruby Newbold. Both women served as presidents of their locals within the Detroit Public Schools at the same time. The award was created to honor the late Ruby Newbold and her dedication to advocating for the most vulnerable students and the school employees who supported them. It's clear that President Jackson shares that passion as she is committed to fighting for what our students need and what our union brothers, sisters, and siblings deserve.

The DFT joins the community in expressing our sorrow for the former long-time president of the DAEOE, Ruby Newbold. She served as president of the Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees, Local 4168, affectionately called the “clericals union”. She was a labor activist her entire career, from her start as a payroll clerk with the Detroit Public Schools until her retirement in 2018. During her long career she served in various capacities with AFT Detroit, the Coalition of DPS Unions, AFT Michigan and even with AFT National. Here in Detroit the DFT appreciated the support she lent on the many collaborative initiatives for the membership and the community, such as Nutrition Night, Literacy Camp and First Book. She has left her mark on the legacy of the labor movement not just locally, but statewide and across the country. We send our condolences to her son, Demetrius, and his family.

Here is more about the career  of labor activist, Ruby Newbold, written by AFT National: https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-president-randi-weingarten-celebr…