Tired of hearing elected officials tell you that you should stay out of debates over policies that affect your profession?
Upset when a politician tells you politics works better without citizen participation?
Frustrated when legislators claim to support public employees, yet those employees are never given pay raises?
Upset that some elected officials keep coming up with schemes that will drain already inadequate funding from our public schools so taxpayer dollars can be diverted to support private schools?
Angry that Kentucky retirees constantly have to worry about the funding of their retiree health insurance?
We are too.
That’s why we formed KY120 United. We support public school employees, state workers, and the families and communities we serve in all of Kentucky’s 120 counties.
We wanted to be heard, but it seemed no one was listening. So we joined together to build power and amplify our voices.
Since we started in March 2018, we have become one of Kentucky’s leading advocates for public education. We are active in the General Assembly, fighting for legislation that benefits all students, educators, and public employees, while fighting against misguided policies. We push for accountability and transparency—elected officials must conduct the public’s business in public.
And we’re not afraid to raise our voices, if that’s what it takes to get officials to pay attention. We are tired of compromises in which we are the only ones making concessions.
The past year has been one of the most tragic in American history. And many challenges remain to be faced as we begin to envision an end to the pandemic and a return to more normal times. This is a time that demands ongoing vigilance and greater engagement by all of us.
KY120 United is renewing our commitment to organize for change, rather than agonize over the status quo. We are partnering with the American Federation of Teachers for a groundbreaking organizing campaign. We believe mobilizing under the AFT banner affords us the best of both worlds—our own experience and success with grassroots activism here in Kentucky, and the expertise and national stature of a union of professionals who share our values and commitment to worker empowerment through collective voice. By joining with AFT, we also become part of the national AFL-CIO union.
Right now, the AFT is helping us launch this KY120 United-AFT website, which will be the headquarters for this organizing effort. In the coming days and weeks, we anticipate regular updates and new information will be posted as the campaign moves forward.
Teachers, school staff, public employees, university personnel, and retirees from across the state are welcome to join us—and we hope you will take that step. By doing so, you will become an at-large, associate member of the AFT. Membership gives us the organizational support that has made the AFT central to the professional lives of more than 1.7 million members across the nation.