AFT-Speeches

Al Shanker testifies here before a sub-committee of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare on Federal Regulation of State and Local Public Employee Labor Relations. He comments on two proposed bills, S. 3294 and S. 3295, that would, as he says, “provide for Federal regulation of labor relations in the public sector at the state and local level.” Shanker, speaking for the AFT, strongly endorses S. 3294 and condemns S. 3295. S.  read more »

Shanker is speaking to the Day Care Alliance National Council of Organizations for Children and Youth. He is speaking about the dangers of putting children (especially young children) in overcrowded classrooms. He also talks about standardizing day cares and early childhood programs across the country. Shanker also stresses the importance of hiring paraprofessional staff who are qualified to work in a bilingual setting.

Shanker takes questions about issues facing early childhood education and his view points about day care centers. Shanker’s main points are that there needs standardization in early childhood education and that those responsible for teaching Pre-K education need to take a more active stance in politics, on the local level as well as the national. The conversation does however flow through various aspects of educating immigrants, paraprofessionals and funding public and private day care facilities.

Al Shanker and James Harris, president of the NEA, are interviewed by moderator John Merrow. They discuss the differences between their organizations and the possibility for merger. Some of the differences they discuss are secret ballot elections, affiliations with the AFL-CIO and CAPE (Coalition of Public Employees), quotas and affirmative action, and problems in the educational system. The vigorous debate reaches no consensus.

President Shanker speaks on the how the violence in schools and how congress must make a “moral and financial commitment to restore and preserve the productivity and security of our schools”. He suggests they do this by providing funding for special school settings for delinquents, to provide more security in schools and also funding for narcotics education.