University of California AFT Endorses Bernie Sanders:

[amborin]

University of California Lecturers and Librarians (UC-AFT) Endorses Bernie Sanders

The Lecturers and Librarians of the University of California system took time away from a difficult contract campaign (for the Lecturers, now out-of-contract) and on-going Librarian organizing to resist deprofessionalization, to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Presidential nomination. This was a unanimous vote of representatives from all nine main campuses, from UC San Diego to UC Merced.

Our national union, The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), endorsed Hillary Clinton early in the primary campaigns, with some controversy and a significant amount of unhappiness among our members. Our state union, the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has yet to endorse anyone. When the AFT voted to endorse Clinton, CFT was one of three (out of 45) voted not to endorse at that time.

UC-AFT’s support for Bernie Sanders in the primaries is not an endorsement “against” anyone. After the primaries, UC-AFT will certainly consider endorsing (or re-endorsing) someone for the General Election. But for now the decision was clear. As a large group (over 5,000) of overly opinionated and deeply read people, you can imagine there were many reasons behind the decision to endorse Sanders. Among the most important, his positions on high education. UC-AFT President Bob Samuels, a lecturer at UCSB, writes in his blog:

“Sanders’ is the only candidate who has tied the rising cost of higher education and student debt to Wall Street. His plan pushes to increase the number of full-time faculty, reduce administrative costs, and increase spending on instruction.”

Bernie Sanders also seems most in line with UC-AFT membership on a number of other issues, such as union rights, environmental action, corporate economic instruments such as trade deals, universal healthcare and campaign reform. As Samuels says, Sanders represents “a rare chance to push for a truly progressive agenda.”

from DK:

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/2/8/1481765/-UC-AFT-Endorses-Bernie-Sanders

[LWolf]

1. Bernie

has the support of a very large number of teachers across the nation.

I'm one of them.

[amborin]

2. me, too

[Jefferson23]

3. Great. K&R

[Herman4747]

4. Decades ago, this person here:

was leading the world's largest democracy, and since that time female heads of state have appeared all over the world.

There truly are more important considerations in choosing a president.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. I certainly wouldn't use her as an example of "democracy".

[amborin]

6. just want to add: this is HUGE: California is going for Bernie!

[CharlotteVale]

7. K&R

[amborin]

8. kicking for the evening crowd.....Bernie can win California!