NAACP President Ben Jealous summed up the situation in a simple, eloquent way.

“If we’re going to put this country back to work, we have to pull this country back together,” he said.

With that, more than 3,000 American Federation of Teachers members—including more than 70 UUPers—from across the country, erupted in applause for the young, charismatic speaker at AFT’s 81st convention in July.

Jealous also earned applause after lashing out at the Tea Party movement and urging unionists to join the planned Oct. 2 “One Nation March” in Washington, D.C. Delegates also heard from AFT President Randi Weingarten, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumpka and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The theme for the biennial event, held in Seattle, was “Building Bridges Together,” and UUP members took that to heart by attending general sessions, taking part in divisional meetings focused on higher education, and going out of their way to help make the convention run smoothly.

Seven UUPers from six chapters volunteered to work at registration tables and serve as sergeants-at-arms.

Tom Hoey of Albany, Josheila Crandall and Cheryl Hoyte of Brooklyn HSC, Nuala Drescher of Buffalo State, and Jeannie Galbraith of Stony Brook HSC worked at the registration tables, helping out UUP Secretary Eileen Landy, Dave Kreh of Cortland and Robin Nichols of Upstate Medical University.

Janie Forrest-Glotzer of Oneonta and Artie Shertzer of Stony Brook served as sergeants-at-arms, aiding Frank Maraviglia of Environmental Science and Forestry, who usually does that job at AFT conventions.

“Our members stepped up and did a great job, as acknowledged by AFT,” Landy said.

Hoyte said she was excited about being at the conference and hoped to learn how other higher education AFT locals are dealing with some of the same issues facing UUP.

“The theme of the convention is building the future and I hope people can come together and see the connection,” she said. “We are all one and we need to work together toward that goal.”

UUPers also cast votes to re-elect Weingarten, AFT Secretary-Treasurer Antonia Cortese and AFT Executive Vice President Loretta Johnson.

UUP President Phil Smith was re-elected as an AFT vice president, along with NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi, and NYSUT officers Lee Cutler, Kathleen Donahue and Maria Neira. NYSUT Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta was elected to his first term as an AFT vice president.

Smith, a featured speaker at the AFT Higher Education divisional meeting, discussed how SUNY and CUNY are reeling after being hit with more than $800 million in state aid cuts over the last two years.

“It’s important for us in higher education to step up and fight back,” he told the more than 300 delegates at the meeting.

Weingarten, in her State of the Union address to delegates, sent a strong message urging delegates to become active in their communities and reconnect the union with average working people. That connection has been disrupted by hard economic times that have caused unions to become under attack for protections they have won for their members.

“What a sad commentary that these hard-won, noble achievements now are seen as things that separate us from our communities rather than connect us to them,” she said. “We must work to change this.”

Delegates passed several higher ed-related resolutions, including one to push policymakers and higher ed agencies and organizations to consult academic faculty and staff when it comes to defining and accounting for student success.

A new AFT website, WhatShouldCount.org, has the latest news about student success and accountability.

Delegates also agreed to promote an AFT report titled “Promoting Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Faculty: What Higher Education Unions Can Do.”

— Michael Lisi