Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
As of early Monday morning, more than 27,500 Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) workers are now members of Fairfax Education Unions (FEU)—an alliance between Fairfax Education Association (FEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) affiliate, Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT). Teachers, counselors, librarians, bus drivers, custodians, teaching assistants and other critical staff members who make the ninth largest school district in the country run voted by a massive margin to organize for the wages, benefits, and voice on the job they deserve.
“Today’s message is clear: Persistence works, and the 1.75 million members of the AFT look forward to supporting Fairfax educators as they build a sustainable future for themselves, the public schools and the students they serve,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a press release. “We will have their backs as they bargain to ensure that every Fairfax public school is a place where parents want to send their kids, educators want to teach, and kids thrive.”