Report From AFT National Convention

URA members sent six delegates to attend the AFT National Convention in Houston, Texas July 22-24. URA delegates were representative of all campuses, and included Brian Everett, Melissa Hartland, Josephine Nagle, Isaac Jimenez, Mary Ellen Maguire and President Christine O’Connell.

Some highlights included hearing inspiring speeches from labor leaders like United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta and UAW President Shawn Fain. Delegates voted to endorse Kamala Harris for President and heard the Vice President address the body with a vision of improving the lives of every day workers.

Dozens of resolutions to advance the business of our national union advanced including:

AFT executive officers Randi Weingarten, Evelyn DeJesus, and Fedrick Ingram were reelected along with 43 vice presidents from around the country to serve on the executive council.

You can see more here. https://www.aft.org/convention

Report Back From URA Delegates

(From left to right) Isaac Jimenez, Brian Everett, Melissa Hartland, Josephine Nagle, Christine O’Connell, Mary Ellen Maguire

Brian K. Everett, MPA, PhD-ABD, Camden Campus

I learned so much during this year’s AFT Convention, and I’m so grateful for my union siblings for sending me! The most important take-away I have is two-fold: AFT is a large umbrella with powerful opportunities to mobilize and advocate for workers and students. Additionally, in the finest of details, lots of our concerns are echoed across the country. Given those two facts, I must stress the continued importance of collective communication, and being there for one another. Our URA members work with the fine details required for our great University to run properly every day, and we all know what is right and what is needed.

Isaac Jimenez, Newark Campus

Coming off of AFT’s 2024 Convention the stakes could not be higher for our democracy, for our republic, and for the labor movement’s fighting corporate greed. I was excited to see AFT endorse the May Day 2028 resolution, and was also disappointed that debate was stifled early on critical matters like the war in Gaza. We need to build the union and fight for all workers, at Rutgers, across New Jersey, the United States and the whole world. Endorsing Kamala Harris was a necessary, but not ultimate step toward beating Donald Trump and I’m hopeful to see AFT locals like ours having more discussions about the 2024 elections.

Melissa Hartland, Newark Campus

I am thankful to have attended this year’s convention. As a first time delegate, it was exciting to experience and learn. There were some great networking opportunities amongst the committee meetings, caucuses, and even poolside, after business was concluded of course!

Josephine (Jo) Nagle, Newark Campus

Thank you for sending me to Houston in July to represent you at the AFT Convention 2024. Being with about 3,000 (out of 1.8 million) of our union siblings from all over the country and world was a great experience. The speeches and resolutions focused on unity, not division, and were inspiring. And I have new ideas for our next contract! I worked at the Together We Rise Citizenship Clinic and Community Fair alongside my Texas AFT siblings. It was an honor to serve the Houston community, which is still recovering from Hurricane Beryl, and put words into action with AFT by providing real solutions for a better life. ‘Y’all means all!’

Mary Ellen Maguire, Livingston Campus

It was an honor to represent our union as a delegate at the 2024 AFT National Convention and experience democracy in action. In addition to hearing from so many inspiring speakers in the labor movement, I also had the opportunity to connect with rank-and-file members from locals across the country. I learned ways to strengthen our collective voices and fight for all workers. This was a transformational experience and I am thankful to our membership for selecting me to be a voice for URA-AFT at the national level.