1) Anti-War Resolution Defeated. A group of delegates led by the contingent from the Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York attempted to substitute its anti-war Resolution 46 for the moderately pro-war Resolution 49 submitted by the AFT Executive Council. Though the AFT leadership was outmaneuvered at the microphones by the anti-war group, the substitute motion was rejected and Resolution 49 was approved by about a three-fourths vote.

By getting to the correct microphones first, four speakers from the anti-war faction were able to speak their piece. They each used their full allotment of three minutes, leaving only one three-minute rebuttal available to their opponents before the 15-minute clock ran out. They took the opportunity to thoroughly trash the Bush administration. One CUNY delegate even claimed that President Bush planned to appropriate an additional $98 billion for the "war in Colombia," which would be alarming indeed if true. Ninety-eight billion dollars is about one-quarter of the entire defense budget, according to this group’s own numbers.

The adopted Resolution 49 offers support for the war on terrorism, with appropriate caveats about civil liberties and the use of force. The biggest complaint of the anti-war crowd was this sentence: "We support the use of the wide range of powers at the country’s disposal to eradicate this threat to our people, our liberty and our children’s future." Tania Kappner of Oakland argued that this was a "blank check for Bush" to conduct all future wars. But Leo Casey of the United Federation of Teachers countered: "If ever there was a just war, this war is just."

The most ironic argument was made by Jim Mahler of New York. He warned against giving the federal government "broad powers." In case you’re keeping score: Giving the federal government broad powers over national security is bad. Giving the federal government broad powers over the national health care system is good.

2) Slavery Reparations Measure Tabled. Support for a Congressional study of reparations for slavery was introduced as a special order of business, but ultimately tabled (dismissed without action) after a short debate. This didn’t sit well with a few supporters of the measure, one of whom characterized the vote as "shenanigans" being perpetrated by the leadership. Sounds like a potential EIA reader to me.

3) Action on Other Resolutions. Here is the ultimate fate of four other resolutions EIA chose to watch closely:

* Resolution 7, "Reform of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards," was referred to the AFT Executive Council en masse with about 25 other resolutions that had not yet been debated. EIA seriously doubts the AFT leadership, heavily involved and intertwined with the NBPTS, has any interest in investigating its operations.

* Resolution 22, "Fair Collection of Sales Taxes on Electronic Commerce" was approved. This means AFT supports taxes on Internet sales.

* Resolution 65, "For the Soul of Labor," was defeated. Delegates opted not to create "the literal vision of the City of God on earth, of peace, prosperity and transparent human consciousness…"

* Resolution 92, "The American Labor Studies Center," was approved. It supports the establishment of an American Labor Studies Center in Troy, New York, which will "collect, analyze, evaluate, create and disseminate labor history and labor studies curriculum and related materials, aligned to academic standards in place, to K-12 teachers nationwide in cooperation with the National Education Association and other organizations and agencies who express an interest."

4) All AFT Executive Officers Re-Elected to Two-Year Terms. President Sandra Feldman, Vice President Nat LaCour, Secretary-Treasurer Ed McElroy, and three dozen or so AFT vice presidents were all elected to two-year terms by the delegates. Vote totals were not announced.

5) EIA Resumes Normal Schedule July 29. Farewell from Las Vegas. This concludes EIA’s coverage of the AFT Convention and signals the end of EIA Summer School for 2002. EIA will resume its normal weekly publication schedule on Monday, July 29. EIA Summer School practices indiscriminate social promotion, so you all graduate. I hope you enjoyed this year’s edition.