California Federation of Teachers

California Federation of Teachers
Name	California Federation of Teachers
Abbreviation	CFT
Founded	1919
Location country	United States
Members	120,000 (approx.)
Affiliations	American Federation of Teachers, AFL–CIO

California Federation of Teachers is a statewide labor organization representing educators and school-related professionals across California, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL–CIO. The organization participates in collective bargaining, political advocacy, professional development, and community outreach while interacting with entities such as the California Teachers Association, United Teachers Los Angeles, the California State Legislature, the California Department of Education, and the California Supreme Court.

History

The federation traces roots to early 20th-century labor movements including the Industrial Workers of the World, the American Federation of Labor, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the New Deal-era labor realignments, and postwar teacher unionization efforts involving figures and events like Eleanor Roosevelt, the Wagner Act, the National Labor Relations Board, the Taft-Hartley Act, and the GI Bill. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the organization engaged with campaigns and influences connected to the Civil Rights Movement, the Free Speech Movement, Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, the United States Supreme Court decisions on collective bargaining such as Abood v. Detroit Board of Education and later Janus v. AFSCME, and state initiatives including Proposition 13 and subsequent education finance litigation. In the 1980s and 1990s it navigated education reform debates linked to Ronald Reagan, the Coleman Report, the Goals 2000 initiative, and the No Child Left Behind era, while coordinating with state figures like Jerry Brown, Gray Davis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the 21st century the federation responded to policies associated with Barack Obama, the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Common Core State Standards Initiative, Gavin Newsom, and litigation involving the California Educational Code and labor law precedents.

Organization and Leadership

The federation's governance includes an executive council, president, vice presidents, secretary-treasurer, and an elected convention structure modeled after other unions such as the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the Service Employees International Union, and the Communications Workers of America. Past and contemporary leaders have interacted with national figures including Randi Weingarten, Albert Shanker, Sandra Feldman, A. Philip Randolph, Dolores Huerta, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Cesar Chavez through alliances, coalitions, and labor conferences. The internal departments mirror structures found in organizations like the AFL–CIO, the California Labor Federation, the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Department of Labor, and state labor agencies, coordinating policy staff, legal counsel, research units, and organizing teams.

Membership and Affiliated Locals

Membership spans K–12 teachers, community college faculty, classified staff, and higher education professionals connected to locals such as United Educators of San Francisco, United Teachers Los Angeles, San Diego Education Association, Oakland Education Association, Berkeley Federation of Teachers, Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, and others aligned with statewide locals in regions including Sacramento, Fresno, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Silicon Valley. The federation's locals interface with institutions like the University of California, California State University, Los Angeles Unified School District, San Francisco Unified School District, San Diego Community College District, Palo Alto Unified School District, and county offices of education while maintaining associations with national affiliates including AFT Higher Education and AFT Healthcare.

Political Activity and Advocacy

The federation engages in lobbying, electoral endorsements, ballot measure campaigns, and coalition-building with organizations such as the California Democratic Party, labor councils, advocacy groups like the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and policy partners including the Learning Policy Institute and the Public Policy Institute of California. Its political work has intersected with state ballot propositions, legislative efforts in the California State Assembly and Senate, gubernatorial administrations including those of Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, and federal policymaking during administrations such as Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The federation has mounted campaigns on issues overlapping with health care debates involving the Affordable Care Act, pension concerns relating to CalPERS and CalSTRS, school funding tied to Proposition 98, and criminal justice intersections with cases brought before the California Supreme Court and federal courts.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Actions

The federation participates in negotiations and labor actions that have involved strikes, unfair labor practice charges before the Public Employment Relations Board, walkouts like the 2019 teacher strikes in various districts, contract campaigns influenced by comparisons to United Teachers Los Angeles and Chicago Teachers Union actions, and precedent-setting arbitration cases and litigation engaging courts such as the Ninth Circuit and the California Court of Appeal. Bargaining topics include salary schedules, class size, benefits managed with CalPERS and CalSTRS, workplace safety standards tied to Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines, and pandemic-era disputes referencing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and California Department of Public Health directives.

Programs and Services

The federation provides professional development, legal representation, member benefits, pension counseling, and community programs while collaborating with organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers' teacher training initiatives, the National Education Association’s professional learning resources, local school districts, county offices of education, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and philanthropic partners like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wallace Foundation. Services include arbitration and grievance support in state tribunals, continuing education aligned with accreditation bodies, voter registration drives, and community outreach campaigns partnering with civic organizations like the Service Employees International Union and local chapters of the League of Women Voters.

Criticism and Controversies

The federation has faced criticism and controversies related to internal governance disputes, endorsement decisions contested by local chapters, financial transparency questions compared with other unions such as the California Teachers Association, dissent over strike authorizations referencing cases like Janus v. AFSCME, and public disagreements over policy positions on charter schools, testing regimes linked to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, and pension liabilities involving CalSTRS. High-profile clashes have occurred with district administrations, charter networks, political figures, and advocacy groups including Parents for School Choice, local business coalitions, and media outlets that have scrutinized campaign expenditures, endorsement lists, and negotiation strategies. Category:Trade unions in California