Why CFT?

What is the California Federation of Teachers (CFT)?

The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) is a union of educators and classified professionals, affiliated with the 1.7 million member American Federation of Teachers (AFT). CFT comprises 140 local unions in California, representing over 120,000 education employees statewide.

What would being a member of a CFT local mean for us?

We’ve talked to faculty across the college, including part-time and full-time instructional, non-instructional, counseling, library, and noncredit faculty. Collectively, we’ve decided that we want a democratic union connected to the resources and power that CFT provides. As CFT, we would not only be able to establish democratic processes within our own local union, but also access legal resources and expertise to help us negotiate a better contract with our district.

• Expert support in contract negotiations and enforcement, legislative efforts, research, and member organizing

• Involvement in a democratic, education-focused labor movement

• Resources and support to resolve local workplace issues

• Transparency in leadership and development opportunities

• Reciprocal solidarity and support from community college faculty across the state

• Reciprocal solidarity with PCC’s instructional staff, who are already represented by CFT

What is CFT doing for its members statewide?

CFT represents the majority of community college faculty in California, including over 30,000 part-time faculty. Drawing on higher education expertise statewide and nationwide, it works with members on campaigns to improve the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty, create sound student-counselor ratios, and bring healthcare access to all part-time community college faculty.

CFT is a democratic federation that believes the greatest power is in its members. As part of CFT, PCC faculty would democratically set their own priorities, control their assets and expenses, and even be able to hire and direct their own staff. CFT would support our faculty in creating a system of union bylaws that make sure all faculty are fairly represented and that members have decision-making power in negotiations and contract ratification.

On the statewide level, CFT union locals are organized into councils by sector. As part of CFT, we would be part of its Community College Council, a place where CFT community college local unions come together to set CFT policy on issues impacting community college faculty. Being a CFT member means both having autonomy and democracy at the local level, and being part of a broader union movement to improve conditions for part-time and full-time community college faculty across the state. Here are some of CFT’s current statewide efforts:

• Prioritizing ending the two-tier system that maintains inequity and precarity

• Conducting years of expert research on healthcare use and access in California

• Surveying members across the state on their needs and family needs

• Empowering members to testify at state budget committee hearings

• Mobilizing and training hundreds of part-time faculty in lobbying

• Supporting member-led mobilization efforts locally and across the state

• Providing expert guidance and negotiations support to member leaders

In the end, with CFT, you are your union! Being a CFT member means being a part of a movement to improve community college workplaces and the lives of all faculty.