AFT Convention in Seattle – Day 4
Day 4 of the Convention was the shortest. The morning session started a little after 9:30, and wrapped up near 1, and that was it.
Credentials were updated (I think?) and election results announced. The Progressive Caucus swept. The opposition from Detroit got about 5%. Barbara Bowen (PSC) was the leading vote getter, followed by Karen Lewis (CTU Local 1), well ahead of the rest.
International relations was first group of resolutions on the agenda. And Afghanistan was prioritized #1 out of the committee. The NYSUT resolution had been recommended, and all the debate was about two amendments.
The first amendment said that this is, for the United States, a war of choice, not a war of defense. The second amendment removed from the resolved section language that muddied when we wanted the war to end, and further removed a full resolved advising the armed forces on how to conduct the war on terror. Three PSC leaders spoke powerfully for the amendments. Leo Casey moved to a mike in front of a mike with a UFT delegate. He defended the weaker version of the resolution, and the next speaker dutifully ended debate. Even the weakened resolution was an anti-war resolution, of a sort. We’ll have to strengthen it in two years.
The second resolution was on Iran. A delegate from New Jersey who had spoken on this resolution in committee