News

At its first meeting of the New Year, the Louisiana Teachers Retirement System Board of Supervisors welcomed two new members with strong ties to the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.

There was no shortage of resolve and determination when AFT affiliates from 37 state federations, including Louisiana, gathered in Washington, D.C., Jan. 7-9 for the new year's first order of business: crafting a comprehensive plan to defend vital public services—and the professionals who deliver them—from no-holds-barred attacks in today's perilous, divisive economic and political landscape.

Because the outgoing Jefferson Parish School Board could not convene a quorum before the end of 2010, the fate of a collective bargaining agreement with the parish’s 3,000 school support staff rests with a newly elected board. The issue could be decided at a meeting scheduled for January 6 at 5:00 P.M.

Congratulations to the St. Martin Federation of Teachers and School Employees, the newest member of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers family. The St. Martin Federation was presented with its official charter at the Federation’s 46th annual convention in Lake Charles on November 21.

Efforts to derail the collective bargaining agreement for school employees in Jefferson Parish were thwarted on Friday when a district judge refused to grant a restraining order that would have halted the process.

(Kenner, LA – December 9, 2010) In a historic vote Wednesday night, the Jefferson Parish School Board granted collective bargaining rights to the district’s 3,000 paraprofessionals and school related personnel. The 5-3 vote marked the greatest expansion of bargaining rights in the parish since teachers won a collective bargaining agreement in 1977.

Taking dead aim at conventional wisdom, two keynote speakers at the LFT’s 46th annual convention made the case that Louisiana needs more money in order to fund vital services, and that voters will support raising revenues if they believe the money will be spent wisely.

Since both of those messages contradict Gov. Bobby Jindal’s hard-line demand for budget cuts, the stage is set for confrontation when the legislature convenes in April.

Six local chapters of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers have received the Union Values in Action Award for improving the lives of members, enhancing the influence of the union and advancing the mission of public education.

The award recognizes the efforts of local LFT chapters to promote the union agenda and express commitment to the values that make the Federation the largest professional organization for teachers and school employees in Louisiana.

Longtime union leader Prentiss “Penny” Ferguson has received the Pioneer Award from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers. The award is presented annually to individuals who, over the years, made major contributions to the growth and influence of the LFT.

Victoria Rochester, an eighth grade student at W.W. Lewis Middle School in Sulphur, is the designer of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers’ 2010 holiday greeting card. Victoria’s art teacher is Calcasieu Federation of Teachers member Melissa Lemb, the art specialist at the school.