Addressing delegates to UNCSW, AFT leaders connect affordability, solidarity and democracy

During the 70th annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the AFT welcomed 25 leaders of unions affiliated with Education International and Public Services International as they began their deliberations on public finance, the care economy and protecting girls' education. The gathering was as much about solidarity as it was about shared struggle. The Commission on the Status of Women is the U.N.'s principal global intergovernmental body focused on gender equality and women's empowerment.

The reception brought together union leaders representing educators, state and local government employees, and nurses and healthcare workers from many countries, including Ghana, the United Kingdom, Scotland, India, Norway, Brazil, Ecuador and Chile. What made the gathering stand out was not just who attended, but how intentionally it connected local AFT women leaders with women doing parallel work across borders. About one-third of the room was made up of women leaders from AFT affiliates in the New York City region, including the New York State United Teachers, the United Federation of Teachers, the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY, the New York State Public Employees Federation, AFT New Jersey and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, also from New Jersey.

AFT nurses had the chance to meet nurses from Ghana, Quebec, Brazil and elsewhere who are doing similar work under different systems but facing many of the same pressures: strained public services, rising healthcare costs and the constant battle for respect in professions like education and healthcare.

AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus addressed the group, with Weingarten framing the conversation around a point she has been making with growing urgency: The affordability crisis is not an abstract policy debate. It is the grueling reality shaping working people's lives.

Her message focused on the growing difficulty of affording healthcare and keeping up with bills. Across countries, working people are finding it harder to afford the essentials of a good life.

Weingarten also emphasized how difficult-and how important-it is to fight for those things in the face of regimes actively trying to undermine them. She highlighted the AFT's opposition to U.S. military action in Iran, telling attendees that many Americans believe peace is built through global diplomatic engagement, not escalation. She also underscored that many Americans do not support the escalation, drawing a sharp distinction between the actions of the U.S. government and the values of working people who want peace, opportunity and security.

In a room full of women leaders, the message was simple and powerful: Solidarity across borders matters, whether the issue is democracy, peace, public education, healthcare or affordability.

[Melanie Boyer]