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PFT President Jerry Jordan on PA Senate's Passage of Bigoted Legislation

June 29, 2022

PHILADELPHIA—In response to the Republican controlled PA State Senate passing an Anti-trans sports bill, a Book Banning bill, and a Don't Say Gay bill, PFT President Jerry Jordan issued the following statement:

"Shame on Pennsylvania Republicans who continue to lead with bigotry and hatred.

"I am disgusted by the State Senate's passage today of an Anti-trans bill (SB972), a Book Banning bill (SB1277), and a Don't Say Gay bill (SB1278). 

PFT President Jerry Jordan on SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

June 24, 2022

PHILADELPHIA—In response to the 5-4 SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, PFT president Jerry T. Jordan issued the following statement:

"Today's ruling, overturning a woman's right to the healthcare she needs, is disgraceful. Banning abortions will not stop abortions. But it will make abortion unsafe and illegal. It means that women experiencing poverty, especially Black and brown women, will be especially vulnerable amidst an already rigged system.

"Before our eyes, we are watching the horror of a group of right-wing extremists hurtling our nation rapidly towards authoritarianism. Let's be very clear: when Republicans talk about freedom, when they talk about the sanctity of life, when they talk about individual rights, they mean for white, cisgender men.

PFT President Jerry Jordan Calls on Senator Toomey to Take Immediate Action on Gun Reform

June 8, 2022

PHILADELPHIA—Amidst an ongoing scourge of gun violence that continues its catastrophic toll in Philadelphia and across the country, PFT President Jerry Jordan yesterday joined Tuesdays with Toomey to again call attention to this urgent crisis. In addition to the PFT and Tuesdays with Toomey, the event was co-sponsored by Cease Fire PA, March for Our Lives, Indivisible Philadelphia, and Heeding God's Call.

Pennsylvanians will continue to put pressure on Senator Toomey to listen to his constituents and implement gun safety measures that will save lives. The PFT is urging its members, as well as any concerned Pennsylvanians, to take action today and call Senator Toomey. The message is clear: gun reform is urgently needed. 

PFT President Jerry Jordan in Inquirer Op-Ed: The moral and constitutional imperative for investing in young people

May 31, 2022

Read the op-ed here.

With burgeoning resources in the Commonwealth’s coffers, coupled with an evergreen moral (and constitutional) imperative, this year’s state budget must meaningfully and sustainably address years of continued disinvestment in our young people.

Just over two weeks ago, a white supremacist targeted a predominantly Black community in Buffalo, NY, killing 10 community members — a teacher, a bus aide, a community activist, and so many others who were deeply loved. And since that day, our nation has endured 33 mass shootings. Over the holiday weekend in Philadelphia, 13 people were murdered, including a 10-year-old boy and his father. Just over a week ago, we saw horror unfold at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman terrorized a community and stole the lives of nineteen precious fourth graders and two beloved teachers. In both Buffalo and Uvalde, these acts were carried out by an 18-year-old with legal access to an assault rifle.

The crisis of gun violence is intolerable, and we continue to call for both local and national solutions, including common sense gun reform. Further, both the gun violence crisis and the deadly COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected Black and brown children and their families.

Decades of disinvestment in public education has also hurt Black and brown children. In 2022, communities are still deeply immersed in the fight for equity for our young people — and continue to be forced to justify resources that are seen as nonnegotiable in wealthier, whiter school districts. In fact, advocates have had to sue the Commonwealth for its abject failure to meet its constitutional mandate to provide all of Pennsylvania’s children with a thorough and efficient system of public education.

PFT President Jerry Jordan on the Second Anniversary of the Murder of George Floyd at the Hands of Minneapolis Police

May 25, 2022

"The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police should continue to horrify us all. Today, I reiterate this union’s commitment to the fight for racial justice.

"The systems of oppression and racism that we work to dismantle every day remain deeply embedded—in policing, in education funding, and in nearly every facet of our society. Today and often, the loved ones of George Floyd are in my thoughts. Black Lives Matter."

Read our principles of racial justice here.