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Here's your GFT eUpdate for September 03, 2021

Recognizing Labor Leaders Who Shaped Our Future

What do you think of when you see Labor Day on your calendar? A sunny summer day, barbecues, a school holiday, or maybe the time of year that signals it is ready to go back to school. You may even think briefly about unions, knowing that unionized workers made possible not only a holiday dedicated to and for workers, but also weekends, child labor laws, and safe working conditions in the United States.

Do you know the origins of Labor Day? It became a federal holiday in the U.S. in 1894. created to honor and celebrate the labor movement, workers, and the contributions of both to American society. The labor movement is instrumental with American society being what it is today; there is so much overlap between labor and other aspects of American history. Here’s one example:

You know about civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., of course. But did you know how intertwined the labor movement and the civil rights movement were? The AFT was a main funder of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. King was a supporter and believer in the positive power of unions. He was the keynote speaker at the AFL-CIO’s annual convention in 1961. “The labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it,” he said at the convention. “Those who today attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them.” We even have a thank-you letter King wrote the late former AFT President Albert Shanker when he was still president of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Share My Lesson’s collection of teaching resources on Martin Luther King’s accomplishments and his legacy.

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DODEA School Bus Drivers Enjoy New and Improved Contract

The Guam Federation of Teachers has just completed the negotiation and ratification of a new and improved COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (cba) for DODEA School Bus drivers. The new contract will remain in effect until June 30, 2024.

The new contract requires the Employer to provide safety equipment to protect our drivers against the COVID-19 virus, increased paid sick and annual leave, and improved job protection.

Moreover, the new agreement provides overtime for all hours worked in excess of eight (8) hours in one day, increases the number paid holidays to 14 per year and increased base pay from $22.67 to $24.03 this year. Additional pay increases will follow each year thereafter. DODEA school bus drivers will also enjoy $4.54 per hour added to base pay for health care and .25 per hour employer contribution to 401k. In other words, $28.82 per hour.

Alutiiq School Bus Drivers are drug-free, have a clean background record, and hold a valid school bus driver license.