CFAC in solidarity with CTU, SEIU, and UAW

CFAC stands in solidarity with CTU, SEIU, and UAW

Read below on ways we can help

Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders to join CTU, SEIU at rally for fair contracts for Chicago workers

CTU, SEIU Local 73 will be joined by UAW strikers, SEIU HCIL Mt. Sinai health workers, suburban teachers, grassroots groups to call for fair contracts that support the common good.

CHICAGO—U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will join the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Local 73 at a rally to support the struggle for equity and educational justice for CPS students and the workers who serve them. The rally will be held at 7PM on Tuesday, September 24, at the CTU's Jackie Vaughn Hall, 1901 W. Carroll St. on Chicago's West Side.

CTU members are voting next week to authorize a strike. Local 73 members have already voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against CPS

For more information, please visit the CTU website at www.ctulocal1.org.

The CTU and SEIU Local 73 are holding a Community Art Build to produce materials to help with public education around our contract campaigns! We are calling on teachers, students, allies in public education and beyond to create images to be used in the struggle to defend and promote public schools. All the images people create will be displayed and some used on banners, drop banners, parachute banners, screen printed posters and screen-printed picket signs.

The Art Build will take place at CTU HQ (1901 W. Carroll Ave.) in early October on Friday, Oct. 4, from 5-10 p.m.,

Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m.- 10 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Illinois Federation of Teachers Welcomes Columbia Faculty Union to Its Membership 

Chicago -- Today by a majority vote, the Columbia Faculty Union (CFAC) voted to join the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT). 

“CFAC is proud to be joining with IFT/AFT, AFL-CIO at this time; in this historical moment. When labor is under attack and the very foundations of education are threatened, we need to unify in order to secure fair wages, fair working conditions and ensure that critical thinking and quality education guide our work,” said Diana Vallera, CFAC President. “Our unions share the principles and practice of standing up, including on the picket line. Together our principles are stronger, our voices louder, and our power undeniable.”

Columbia Faculty Union (CFAC), is the union representing the interests of contingent faculty at Columbia College Chicago. Contingent faculty teach a majority of classes at Columbia and are deeply committed to the quality of students’ education. They bring professional expertise into the classroom; many are high achievers in media arts, fine arts, arts management, and other fields. Columbia was founded as a college where part-time faculty would be honored for their dedication to their students and their professions.

“As a high school English teacher, I saw many of my students go to Columbia College, where they studied with leading artists and practitioners in their respective fields. I’m thrilled that these faculty members have chosen to join our IFT family. We understand the unique needs of contingent faculty, who are fighting powerfully against institutional changes that directly impact their work and their students’ education. Our union’s knowledge and experience in higher education, combined with the collective strength of nearly 103,000 members, makes IFT the right choice for Columbia College Chicago faculty and for every local union seeking support and a strong voice on their campus,” said IFT President Dan Montgomery.