Statement by Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, On White House Conference on Bullying Prevention and AFT’s ‘See a Bully, Stop a Bully: Make a Difference’ Campaign and Wristbands

Students, parents, bullying experts and educators—including AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Vice President Mary J. Armstrong—participated in today’s conference with President Obama and the first lady.

WASHINGTON—Schools should be places where students feel safe and can thrive without the fear of taunts or humiliation. It is time to stop excusing bullying as “kids will be kids.” The AFT is grateful that President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are making bullying a high-profile issue and emphasizing that everyone must share in the responsibility to stop it.

As part of the AFT’s effort to combat bullying, we created blue wristbands and posters featuring our new campaign slogan, “See a Bully – Stop a Bully,” which we will be distributing widely in schools across the country. When students see their teachers or anyone wearing the blue wristband, it will serve as a signal to students that they are not alone, that school is a safe haven, and that they can turn to and depend on their educators to deal with bullying or harassment.

Next week, as the White House announced today, the AFT will officially launch our new national “See a Bully, Stop a Bully: Make a Difference” campaign at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning conference in New York. It’s a multifaceted campaign aimed at raising awareness and providing resources and training to educators, students, parents and others.

The AFT will also be bolstering the educator training we have provided for years to combat bullying in our schools, and we will be working with others to ensure that schools are safe environments for students and staff. We have established an online collection of resources, downloadable materials and links to partner organizations on the AFT website, and will host a series of webinar trainings and regional conferences on bullying in the upcoming months.

Bullying has become a constant reality for our children in this age of the Internet. We must do all we can to work together as parents, school officials, school staff, community leaders, nonprofit and private groups, and especially other students, to make it clear that we will not tolerate bullying and will do everything we can to prevent it.

It’s time to turn outrage into action

A message from Richard L. Trumka,  President, AFL-CIO

Brothers and sisters,  Last night in Madison, Wis., in the dead of night, Senate Republicans rammed through a bill that strips Wisconsinites of the collective bargaining rights their parents and grandparents bargained for, marched for, went on strike for and sometimes even died for.  This assault on workers’ freedom will not stand. As the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO said last night: Scott Walker and the Republicans’ ideological war on the middle class and working families is now indisputable, and their willingness to shred 50 years of labor peace, bipartisanship and Wisconsin’s democratic process to pass a bill that 74 percent of Wisconsinites oppose is beyond reprehensible. What we saw in the dead of night in Wisconsin wasn’t democracy. It was back-door deal-making, partisan politics taken to the limit. That isn’t worthy of America. And working Americans simply won’t stand for it. Not in Wisconsin, and not anywhere. Brothers and sisters, it’s time to turn outrage into action. Take action now: Tell your CA state legislators that what happened in Wisconsin last night is unacceptable in any state. Last night, Gov. Walker and his rubber-stamp Republican senators showed us they will do just about anything to pay back corporate donors by stripping workers of their right to bargain for good, middle-class jobs. First, they claimed Walker’s bill was aimed at balancing Wisconsin’s budget. But that was exposed as an outright lie last night. Their true motives were exposed when they robbed hundreds of thousands of nurses, teachers, snowplow drivers and EMTs of their collective bargaining rights—without even a dime of savings to Wisconsin taxpayers. And they thumbed their noses at their state’s open meeting laws to do it. This was the second time in a week that Republican state legislators showed they are willing to sacrifice democracy for their partisan political agenda. First it happened in Ohio, where the Senate Republican leader threw a senator off a committee to ensure the body would vote to end bargaining rights. Now it’s Wisconsin. Act now: Tell your CA state legislators: Not in my state! We won’t allow attacks on collective bargaining to spread here. This morning, tens of thousands of workers are gathering at the Statehouse in Madison. Their fight is only beginning. They’re already getting organized, working tirelessly to recall the politicians who did this and win back the collective bargaining rights that were taken away in the dead of night. It’s time for us all to follow their example in our own states. We need to give it our all and show that like the Wisconsonites who have inspired us all, we don’t give up. Start today: Stand with those at the Wisconsin state capitol by e-mailing your state legislators now. We’ve never seen the incredible solidarity that we’re seeing right now, and I have never been more proud of this movement than I am today. Last night’s travesty in Wisconsin will not stand. Today’s a new day—and we’re even stronger and more committed. It’s time for action and we are ready. In Solidarity, Richard L. Trumka President, AFL-CIO P.S. It’s time for politicians to pay attention to the people they represent. Workers in Wisconsin and in Ohio and across America have had enough. If these attacks continue in statehouses across America, we will be even stronger and bigger, with more of the public—ordinary Americans who are being attacked—joining us to balance out-of-control corporate greed. Tell your CA legislators to keep attacks on collective bargaining out of this state—because politicians who ignore the will of the people will pay the price at the ballot box.

To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.

SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN MEMPHIS