Dear Commons Community,

Barbara McKenna from the AFT sent along this piece on Randi Weingarten’s  keynote at the AFT convention in Detroit  in July.  Weingarten called for “solution-driven unionism,” a new vision that advances solutions focused on uniting union members, the people they serve and the communities in which they live.

Weingarten said that America’s workers face a new normal—with severe budget cuts jeopardizing public education, healthcare and other critical services; families losing more than 30 percent of their wealth during the economic crisis; and more than 100 bills introduced in state legislatures to demonize public employees and undermine public services. “More than ever, we need to act in innovative, creative and new ways,” she said, “simultaneously refuting our critics, advancing our values, connecting with community and proposing solutions. That’s solution-driven unionism.”

Read the full text of the speech

Tony