Statement of Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International
Union
WASHINGTON, July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SEIU president Andy Stern
issued the following statement on the election of Randi Weingarten to lead the
American Federation of Teachers:
"Anyone concerned with education and the state of our public schools knows
that we are at a crossroads and there are some tough choices ahead. The
American Federation of Teachers today demonstrated that it is ready to tackle
those challenges head on with the election of Randi Weingarten to lead its 1.4
million members.
"As president of the United Federation of Teachers, Randi has been a
creative and effective advocate for her members and their students,
understanding that the needs of and outcomes for both are inextricably linked.
She has challenged teachers, parents, administrators and community leaders to
step up to the plate in the interest of building better schools and serving
our kids better. She has presented a plan for accountability that expands
beyond simple test scores to include transparency, fairness and accuracy to
bolster student achievement.
"SEIU's members are deeply committed to quality public education and we
know as well as anyone the importance of teachers to making sure our children
succeed. The American Federation of Teachers has been a good partner to SEIU,
and we look forward to working with Randi, her new leadership team and the AFT
to help prepare our kids to compete and thrive in the 21st century."
With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU
is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in
healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning
better wages, healthcare, and more secure jobs for our communities, while
uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure
that workers, not just corporations and CEOs, benefit from today's global
economy.
SOURCE SEIU
Michelle Ringuette, SEIU, +1-202-730-7234, media@seiu.org
