Unmasking Billionaire Influence in SF Politics

At a moment when Silicon Valley tech billionaires are having an outsized impact on the entire nation and the world, next Tuesday, students, faculty, classified staff and other members of the CCSF community have a chance to dive in and look at what’s happening right here in SF with a one-hour presentation from the Phoenix Project. 

When: Tuesday, September 15, 2:30 – 3:30 PM

Where: In-person, Ocean Campus, STEAM 104 and via Zoom hybrid link

Who: All CCSF students, faculty, and staff

What: The Phoenix Project: Unmasking Billionaire Influence in SF Politics 

The presentation will be lead by Keane Chukwuneta, Phoenix Project Secretary and AFT 2121 member, and Jeremy Mack, Phoenix Project Executive Director

Since 2020, a network of political pressure groups, secretly funded by a handful of conservative tech and real estate billionaires, are spending millions to move San Francisco to the extreme right. These groups have been spending lavishly to further an agenda that benefits the wealthy and large corporations at the expense of working San Franciscans. As the project’s website describes, “They hide behind feel-good names like GrowSF, the Abundance Network and Neighbors for a Better San Francisco…. To further enrich the already wealthy, they are willing to sacrifice government funding for essential services like public transportation and schools.”

So who are these groups and the funders behind them? The Phoenix Project exposes hard-to-trace money in local politics, combining research and analysis to inform voters of the forces exerting undue influence on the electoral system. They’ll give us a primer so we can, collectively, better understand these influences.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to join this informative, 1-hour presentation. Join the conversation and bring a friend!

Delegate Assembly meets right after: Tuesday, 9/15, 3:30-5PM

Wonder what is happening in bargaining? Want more information about endorsed candidates and causes? Want to know concrete steps YOU can take to get a strong contract? All this and more will be discussed in our September Delegate Assembly, open to all members. Join the conversation. Here is the agenda – join the conversations in person in room STEAM 104 or with Zoom hybrid link.

Upcoming Events

AFT 2121 Trustee Endorsements 

COPE (Committee on Political Education) kicked off with a bang at our August meeting. AFT 2121 members gathered after a long day of FLEX meetings to hear five candidates who are running for San Francisco Community College District Board of Trustees. After deliberating, the committee issued a recommendation to members who then voted. The results of the vote are in with overwhelming support for the recommended slate. 

AFT 2121 endorses Leah LaCroix, Jeremy Lee and Bunny McFadden. Stay tuned for more info on opportunities to support these candidates. 

Reminder, DA on Tues, August 25, 3-5 PM

Calling all members to the first Delegate Assembly (DA) of the year! The DA is the regular meeting of AFT 2121’s precinct reps – elected colleagues who represent you in the Delegate Assembly. Reps will be sharing feedback from conversations with faculty around the contract campaign, elections and more. 

Here is the agenda and zoom link. All members are welcome!

Full meeting link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81016718065 

Sept COPE – School Board, Ed Funding & more, Th 9/3, 2PM

The political season is upon us, and this fall is particularly important for educators in San Francisco. This month we’ll be making decisions about school board endorsements as well as key ballot measures. Note, the date for this meeting was moved from September 22.

COPE is your union Committee on Political Education. AFT 2121 members are invited to attend, share, listen, express, reflect and decide on key matters of import to educators, our students and our community. Why does your faculty union do this work? One reason – as long as politicians are involved in education, educators need to be involved in politics.

When: Thursday, 9/3/26, 2-3 PM

Meeting link: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81016718065 

Agenda: COPE agenda here. 

Endorsement for CCSF Board of Trustee Candidates

After a long day of FLEX meetings, AFT 2121’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) met this evening to discuss our endorsements for the three full term seats for Board of Trustees in November’s election.

The committee voted to recommend endorsing Leah LaCroix, Jeremy Lee and Bunny McFadden as a slate and that we will donate $500 from our COPE fund to each person’s campaign if the endorsement is approved.

All AFT 2121 members are encouraged to vote on whether you support these endorsements. You have 48 hours to vote. Voting is open to all members in good standing, including department chairs, members of the retiree chapter, and full-time and part-time faculty.

The trustee race is the political race with the greatest impact on our college, our students and our faculty. We know well from past experience that those who run because they see City College as a stepping stone often don’t prioritize our educational mission. We need College Board members interested in defending the mission of City College and demanding the best from its administrators. Leah, Jeremy and Bunny have committed to run and serve together – which we have seen is a strong model in SF to push back on the billionaires’ election agenda.

Link to COPE vote form

Link to Trustee Candidate Questionnaires

Free City Funding Win

For months, CCSF students, AFT 2121 members, and a coalition of community members organized and showed up to defend Free City College against Mayor Daniel Lurie’s cuts. And we succeeded!

On June 25, the SF Budget and Appropriations Committee reversed about $28 Million of the mayor’s cuts, including $5.6M over two years for the Free City program, saving our students from a 30% cut. This was a major win, speaking both to the power of unions, students and community acting together and to the value of Free City to the public.

If your students caught wind of the mayor’s cuts but not the restoration of Free City funding, you can reassure them that the money is still there, thanks to the advocacy of students, AFT 2121 members, staff, community and more. Supervisor Connie Chan spoke out strongly for Free City, as she has from the start of the program – just one reason she earned AFT 2121’s endorsement in her run for Congress this fall

First Delegate Assembly of the Year, Tues 8/25, 3PM on Zoom

On Tuesday, 8/25, plan to attend the first Delegate Assembly (DA) of the year on Zoom. The DA is the regular meeting of AFT 2121’s precinct reps – elected colleagues who represent you in the Delegate Assembly. Reps will be sharing feedback from conversations with faculty around the contract campaign, elections and more. Come for updates and conversation, see you there!

Here is the agenda and zoom link. All members are welcome!

Full meeting link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81016718065

Welcome back to a new school year! We hope you are rested and ready for a busy fall, standing strong for yourself and your colleagues as we negotiate our next contract with the District.

We have two important meetings on FLEX day: 

AFT FLEX Day Meeting, 8/18 at 4:10 PM on Zoom

All faculty – union members or not – are encouraged to attend the general AFT2121 FLEX Day meeting to discuss how you and your faculty colleagues can use our collective power to get the contract we deserve. All are welcome — this is your union, so make your voice heard!


When:     Tuesday, 8/18/26, 4:10 PM 

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qQzze3N-S3Gc0Pcp_tZIXA

After registering, faculty will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Take Action for Your New Contract: Special COPE Meeting with Trustee Candidates Flex Day 8/18 at 5:30pm on Zoom

AFT members, please join AFT 2121’s Special Committee on Political Education (COPE) meeting Tuesday, Flex Day from 5:30-6:30pm on Zoom. We’ll hear from and interview Board candidates to decide on endorsement recommendations to the broader membership. RSVP here. 

Negotiations for our contract are happening now: your salary, benefits, job stability, and more are at stake. And your bargaining team is ultimately negotiating with CCSF’s elected Board of Trustees. The Board directs the District’s bargaining team and has to approve negotiations each step of the way. This November, four out seven Board seats are up for election. That means you need to make your voice heard in this election and that starts by interviewing Board candidates Tuesday 8/18 at 5:30 pm on Zoom. 

CCSF Educators should be able to afford to live in the city we serve. Those who see City College as a stepping stone come here for a sound bite–we’ve seen the damage that out of touch leaders can do to our programs and students. We need College Board members interested in defending the mission of City College, respecting employee groups, and demanding the best from CCSF leaders.

We know FLEX day is full! Every semester starts with thinking about the work ahead—let’s ensure it includes making decisions about the kind of leaders we want for our college.

Last month, CCSF students, faculty, and community supporters showed up to tell their Free City stories and advocate against the Mayor’s 30% proposed cut to the program. It was a major success – but we haven’t won back this funding yet! Next Wednesday, June 17th at 1:30 pm, labor and community will rally as part of the People’s Budget Coalition on the steps of SF City Hall to push back against cuts to vital city services, including Free City. Can you join us? Click Here to RSVP!

Free City makes it possible for thousands of students every year to access high quality education and job training. Since labor and community won this first-in-the-nation program, working class San Franciscans have used Free City to start their college educations, train (and retrain) for union jobs, and fulfill their dreams.

The proposed cuts would take money straight out of the pockets of our most economically vulnerable students. You will hear from impacted students and others facing severe budget cuts and layoffs. Let’s show that San Francisco is willing to fight for Free City College – join us Wednesday 6/17 to make your voice heard!

Students Speak Up for Free City

Check out these Free City stories from CCSF students testifying at City Hall

Kelvin

Sofia

Jason