Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1545867
When we fight, we win. I 've been saying this for a long time, and I 'm not sure I 've ever felt it more in our union than in this moment right now. This issue celebrates the power of us and our historic string of victories during the past year, including six major strikes across the state, huge wins on health care for thousands and organizing together to push back on austerity schemes at the local and state levels. We made history together this year — from picket lines to the halls of the Capitol to knocking on thousands of doors to defend democracy. Our union is strong, and our students and commu- nities are better because of it. I'm excited to share that our fight to permanently maintain Prop. 55 funding for our public schools and community colleges has reached the next stage, qualifying for the November ballot and receiving a number : Proposition 3. I want to acknowledge everyone who organized at your worksites to gather signatures to qualify this crucial initiative. We did that together and it's going to take every single one of us to pass Prop. 3, starting this sum- mer and until Election Day. We will be organizing precinct walks in neighborhoods across the state to talk with voters about how Prop. 3 is a simple choice: Support students and public education or cut taxes for the wealthy. Failure to pass an extension would mean 1-in-6 educa- tors statewide could lose their jobs, which is a catastrophe we cannot allow. Go to cta.org/yeson3 for more information and to volunteer to join the fight for YES on Prop. 3. We'll also be talking to our neighbors and friends about our endorsed candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Richard Barrera. With our support, he advanced to the November election where he will face off against a headline-chasing extrem- ist who wants to ban books. We need a state superintendent who loves our public schools, every student attending them and their dedicated educators — and that person is Richard Barrera. I'm so excited to work together to propel him to victory this fall. is summer, we continued our fight to defend voter-approved Prop. 98 funding, visiting politicians in the Capitol and their dis- trict offices to demand they fully fund Prop. 98. e final budget passed by the governor and the Legislature in June con- tinues to violate the state constitution by withholding $3.9 billion in Prop. 98 funds. Our union will continue this fight, using every resource and option available. e final budget also contains several wins that were made possible through our collective action, the biggest of which is the inclusion of 14 weeks of paid pregnancy leave for all educators — a historic victory that our union has been fighting to win for some time now. In June, we also began a visioning process for our union where we will be asking members across the state to share their vision for public schools. We know we will keep winning by organizing and campaigning together. It's time for us to reclaim the future with a bold vision for public schools in California. Our goal is to hear from at least 30,000 members, so stay tuned for opportunities to participate in this process. Across our union, educators are organizing and win- ning in historic ways — committing to a shared vision for California public schools where all students are seen, supported and celebrated. I hope you all have a restful summer and get ready for a busy fall continuing our fight for the public schools our communities need and all students deserve. David B. Goldberg C T A P R E S I D E N T Building Our Union Power to Win in November 5 S U M M E R 2 0 26 P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E