Thursday | May 1, 2008
This June 2008 meeting resulted in a "Postmeeting Statement" which was signed by most attendees. Two unions, the International Association of Machinists and the American Federation of Teachers, urged the AFL-CIO Executive Council to issue a policy statement based on this document. After Federation staff consulted with a number of affiliates, a modified resolution was passed by the Council at its August meeting. Subsequently, key ideas from this statement were adopted as a part of the 2008 Democratic National Committee Platform.
The meeting focused on three priorities: (1) the need for a seamless web of providers from high schools to community colleges and universities to unions and employers; (2) technology—the opportunities it offers and changes it is causing in how teaching is delivered; and (3) access to learning (at home, in the workplace, and in employer, union, and educational sites).