CFAC Leads Higher Ed Across the City to Endorse Brandon Johnson
We are proud to share the following press release endorsing Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago. This statement of endorsement was written by the Columbia College Faculty Union and signed by labor organizations representing faculty and staff across the City of Chicago.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2023
CONTACT
Monica Trevino, mtrevino@ift-aft.org
Cell: 773-573-8667
CHICAGO COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY UNIONS ENDORSE BRANDON JOHNSON
Endorsements come from unions at Columbia College, UIC, UChicago, Loyola, and City Colleges of Chicago.
CHICAGO – In a joint statement, unions representing college faculty and staff across the City of Chicago endorse Brandon Johnson in the April 4 runoff election.
"As faculty members in the field of higher education, we are honored to work with Chicago’s brightest students, artists, and scholars. We understand the potential of our city because we see it firsthand – but we see how our communities continue to struggle.
"That’s why we endorse Brandon Johnson’s candidacy for Mayor of Chicago. In a political climate increasingly defined by austerity and authoritarianism, Johnson has shown that he can work with Chicagoans across the board to effect meaningful change, realizing major investments in education, healthcare, green jobs, housing, and violence prevention.
"To those in labor organizing, Johnson is well known. He began his career as a teacher in our city’s public schools and continued as an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, where he built racially and politically diverse alliances to push back against years of corporate privatization and teach-to-test pedagogies. His vision is a beacon for unions across the city that we can – and must – expand our platform to call attention to systemic inequity and organize for the common good.
"We agree with Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery: “As a dedicated public servant raising his children in the Austin community, Brandon knows firsthand the urgency of this moment. He understands the need for equitable policies that benefit not only the wealthy downtown areas, but the backbone of Chicago – neighborhoods like Austin, Englewood, and Little Village – which have consistently been deprived of resources.”
"Brandon Johnson is in, of, and for Chicago – and we will be standing with him on April 4."
The endorsement comes from the following higher education faculty and staff unions.
Columbia College Faculty Union, IFT Local 6602
Cook County College Teachers Union, IFT Local 1600
University of Illinois Chicago United Faculty, IFT Local 6456
Faculty Forward Loyola University Chicago, SEIU Local 73
University of Chicago Faculty Forward, SEIU Local 73
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) represents 103,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities, public employees under every statewide elected constitutional officer, and retirees.
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