Delegates to the 2008 AFT convention elected a new slate of national officers on July 14 in Chicago, voting to install Randi Weingarten as president, Antonia Cortese as secretary-treasurer and Lorretta Johnson as executive vice president.

Over a period of just seven weeks, from Jan. 14-March 3, a total of 26,419 people took the online 2008 Health Care for America Survey sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America. Most are insured and employed. Most are college graduates. More than half are union members.

More than 20,000 paraprofessionals and school-related personnel represented by the Oregon School Employees Association have voted to affiliate with the AFT, marking the largest affiliation of an independent union in AFT history.

Result: Overwhelming Authorization for the union negotiation team to issue a strike. Overwhelming super majority voted No.

"WE GIVE GREAT HEATHCARE BUT CAN'T AFFORD IT"

NEGOTIATIONS

A letter to the membership from a member of the Negotiation Committee.