Over 15,000 NEA members now directly affiliated with the AFL-CIO

(Washington, DC)  - -The AFL-CIO and the National Education Association (NEA) announced new affiliations of three local NEA chapters, bringing the total number of NEA members who have joined the AFL-CIO through the Labor Solidarity Partnership to 15,000. The affiliations aim to build strength and cooperation to meet the needs of students, their families and teachers according to participants.

The new local affiliates include Washington based Olympic College WEA Association for Higher Education representing 118 members, California based Los Angeles County Education Association representing 988 members and the Mt. Diablo Education Association representing another 1,879 California members.

“Investing in our future and building a strong economy must go hand in hand with improving education,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “These affiliations show that we are unified and committed to fighting for quality education in our nation’s classrooms.”

The affiliation comes as part of a groundbreaking agreement between the national AFL-CIO and NEA allowing for local arms of the NEA to affiliate directly with the AFL-CIO, a federation of unions representing 11 million workers. The Labor Solidarity Partnership is supported by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) a long-time AFL-CIO affiliate with 1.4 million members.”

“Now more than ever, working families need to come together to weather the worst economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “The new affiliations collectively will advance the agenda to transform public education for the 21st century, create great public schools for every student, reform health care and strengthen the economy.”

"The AFT welcomes these higher education and K-12 teacher unions to the larger labor movement. They can count on the support and help of millions of other union members, especially fellow educators. These three new affiliations give the AFL-CIO added muscle as it endeavors to ensure fair play for employees aspiring to form a union and for affiliates working to improve working conditions," said AFT President Randi Weingarten.

Listed below are the local NEA chapters affiliating with the AFL-CIO:

Olympic College WEA Association for Higher Education
Nathaniel Hong, President

Los Angeles County Education Association
Mark Lewis, President

Mt. Diablo Education Association
Mike Noce, President

The NEA is the country’s largest independent union and represents 3.2 million union members.

The AFL-CIO is the country’s largest labor federation and represents 11 million union members.

Contact:  Amaya Smith (202) 637-5018