California labor history - Golden Lands, Working Hands

As the statewide affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, the CFT represents faculty and other school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education.

CFT president Marty Hittelman spoke at an Education Coalition press conference at the state Capitol on Friday, August 15. His message: "California is the richest state in the richest country in the world and can afford to support our schools, parks, roads, health care, fire protection, and other vital government services at a reasonable level." Other speakers included Pat Dingsdale of the PTA, Allan Clark of the California School Employees Association, and Scott Plotkin of the California School Boards Association. Hittelman spoke against any further cuts in the state budget, and called instead for closing tax loopholes, implementing a tax on oil when it is taken out of the ground, and increased rates for people with the highest incomes, as delineated in the Legislative conference committee budget proposal. Hittelman also called for a study in California similar to the study by the Governmental Accountability Office in D.C. that found that two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes from 1998 to 2005. Kara Buchanan, photo