AFT Connecticut Union Leadership Grants
Our state federation has initiated a “mini-grant” program to make funds available to AFT affiliated-union members for financial assistance with labor leadership development. A total of $4,000.00 is available each fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) and each member is eligible for a maximum grant of $500 per year for qualifying programs.
Consideration will be given for any program, including attendance at AFT-sponsored conferences or training. Established programs include:
- Labor Summer School – The course is held each year in June at a college or university in the greater northeast region. Participants usually spend the week on campus, but may commute. Topics vary and may include negotiations, collective bargaining, politics, grievances, and arbitrations, etc.
- AFT Constituent Issues Conferences – Our national union convenes several gatherings for affiliated union members each year, such as:
- TEACH (Together Educating America’s Children) for Pre-K-12 teachers (biennially);
- PSRP Conference for paraprofessionals and school related personnel;
- Public Employee Conference for state and municipal workers;
- Health Care Conference for health professionals; &
- Higher Ed Conference for all higher ed faculty and personnel.
Click here to access the AFT UNI catalog for additional available leadership programs.
Click here to send an email requesting an application and instructions for a union leadership “mini-grant.”
National AFT Grants
The AFT Innovation Fund has since 2009 sought to seed and cultivate promising union-led ideas to improve PreK-12 and higher education, healthcare and public services. In addition to our national union, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation help underwrite the fund.
AFT Connecticut in 2013 won a $25,000.00 prize for “Solution Driven Unionism” in recognition of public employee members’ innovative efforts to improve employee wellness and reduce healthcare costs. The award, co-funded by the Albert Shanker Institute, recognized our role as part of the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) to create the Health Enhancement Program (HEP).
Click here to watch the 2013 news briefing to announce the prize.