Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1543424
We Can't Wait! The #WeCantWait movement involves 32 local unions representing more than 80,000 members who support more than 1 million students in California. By aligning contract expiration dates and coordinating site structure building, these locals are maximizing their collective strength, moving from isolated fights to a powerful unified campaign. The goal is to make our classrooms the priority in local district budgets and set the stage for winning the state funding our students deserve in the fourth-largest economy in the world. Visit wecantwait.info for more. "With UTR as the first WCW local on strike, the rest of us have seen what it takes to go from building to strike-readiness, to planning and pulling off a successful strike. e fact that member leaders from so many WCW locals traveled to Richmond to offer support was a powerful demonstration of our solidarity." Darr, Jordan and other WCW core local statewide organizers meet several times a month, updating each other, offering advice and seeking more ways to collaborate. "Effective coalition building takes time," Darr said of working with her counterparts in other WCW locals. "Over the last year and a half, we have inspired one another with effective and creative ideas for building strong site structures, planning campaign actions, and hold- ing strike votes." "e We Can't Wait campaign is rooted in support for one another, we are committed to having each other's back and supporting each other the best we can," Jordan said. "We act like the bridge between individual local campaigns and WCW — making sure connections between them are always present." Related Reading • " The Art of Organizing: United Teachers of Richmond," California Educator (cta.org/educator/posts/ the-art-of-organizing) • "How to Strike and Win," Labor Notes (labornotes.org/strikes) • "California Educators Sync Up Negotiations for More Leverage," Labor Notes (bit.ly/4kw7atJ) Educators and allies at a San Diego Unified school board meeting in late January; SDEA educators reached agreement with the district in February, after authorizing a one-day strike. Photo: Natalya Hamilton. 24 cta.org Feature