CFT CONVENTION

AFT 1493 wins 10 statewide communications awards!

The 74th annual California Federation of Teachers’ Convention, held over the weekend of March 11-13 in San Francisco, was attended by six hundred people—community college instructors, K-12 teachers, early childhood educators, classified employees, and UC librarians and lecturers—from all corners of California. AFT 1493 was represented by 9 delegates: Teeka James, Katharine Harer, Joaquin Rivera, Monica Malamud, Dan Kaplan, Nina Floro, Eric Brenner, Janice Sapigao, Rob Williams, and Michelle Kern.

You can read a full convention report on pages 6 – 7 of this issue of The Advocate, but we want to highlight one major news item from the convention here: AFT Local 1493 won an amazing total of 10 state-wide Communications Awards, more than any other local in the CFT!

The big screen at the CFT Convention general session displayed Oscar symbols for each of the Communication Awards won by AFT Local 1493

This year we won the following awards:

•    First Place in the category of Best Six-or-more Page Newsletter for locals with more than 500 unit members for The Advocate, edited by Eric Brenner. Judges commented that it was: “Very professional and content rich. Stays on message and follows workplace topics and union campaigns successfully over time.”

•    First Place in the category of Best Flyer or Poster for locals with more than 500 unit members for “Part-Time Medical Stipend: Sign Up Now!” by Michelle Kern, CSM Part-Timer Representative and SCIO Organizer. Judges said of the Poster: “Nice visual way to communicate an important issue with excellent send-up of a flow chart and a faculty member’s original illustration. One judge said, ‘It really grabs me.’”

•    Second Place in the category of Best Web Site for locals with more than 500 unit members for aft1493.org, with Eric Brenner, Webmaster.

•    Second Place in the category of Best News Writing for locals with more than 500 unit members for “Warning of Attacks on Public Education and Teachers’ Unions” by Katharine Harer, AFT 1493 Co-Vice President and SCIO Lead Organizer.

•    Second Place in the category of Best Public Relations for locals with more than 500 unit members for “November 2015 Board of Trustees Election Campaign” by Maurice Goodman, Candidate; Katharine Harer, Co-Vice President and SCIO Lead Organizer; Sam Sanchez, Skyline Photography Instructor; Michelle Kern, CSM Part-Timer Rep. and SCIO Organizer.

•    Third Place in the category of Best Feature Writing for locals with more than 500 unit members for “Student Success: By Any Means Necessary?” by Merle Cutler, CSM Professor of English.

•    Third Place in the category of Best Use of Social Media for locals with more than 500 unit members for Facebook.com/AFT1493 by Michelle Kern, CSM Part-Timer Rep. and SCIO Organizer.

•    Third Place in the category of Best Email Newsletter for locals with more than 500 unit members for AFT 1493: The Advocate Newsletter, edited by Eric Brenner.

•    Honorable Mention in the category of Best Single Effort for “Strategic Campaign Initiative Update” by Katharine Harer, SCIO Lead Organizer and Michelle Kern, SCIO Part-Time Organizer.

•    Honorable Mention in the category of Best Original Art or Photograph for locals with more than 500 unit members for “Part-Time Medical Stipend: Sign Up Now!” by Michelle Kern, CSM Part-Timer Representative and SCIO Organizer.