Upset: California Federation of Teachers Elects Marty Hittelman to Replace President

In 1972, Bergan became Legislative Director for the CFT with the distinction of being their first full-time Sacramento lobbyist. She held that position for 19 years, earning a reputation as one of the capital’s most skilled advocates. In 1978, when the California Journal conducted a poll of lobbyists; she was named by her peers and legislators as one of the five most effective lobbyists out of hundreds in the Capitol.

The incoming President, Marty Hittelman, is the first CFT President from a higher education institution since the 1940s. He was formerly the Senior Vice President of the statewide organization, and the leader of the union’s Community College Council for 12 of the last 16 years. He began his teaching career as a high school teacher.

Hittelman is also a strong progressive. He is described as a great believe that the problems of schools and children do not end at the classroom door. Upon his election, he said, “I am dedicated to continuing the California Federation of Teachers' strong progressive traditions of advocacy for better working conditions for all of its members, higher quality learning conditions for California's students, and better living conditions for all Californians. I believe that to further those goals, we need to weigh in on the issues of the day - ending the war in Iraq; cleaning up the environment; implementing a single payer universal health care system; protecting people's personal and civil rights; and, having a progressive tax system which adequately invests in education in order to enhance the quality of life for all Californians.”

The California Federation of Teachers has a large political action committee (PAC), which while smaller than the California Teacher's Association, nevertheless makes them a major player in statewide politics.

During her decades of service, Bergan represented the CFT on various task forces and committees through both the California Department of Education and Chancellor’s office of the California Community Colleges. She served on the Chapter 2 Advisory Committee, the Advisory Committee on Student Assessment, and task forces on educational finance, credential requirements, school restructuring and higher education reform. She also wrote and secured passage of most key legislation ensuring the rights of female students and staff in California schools and colleges.

During the 1980s, Bergan chaired the California Democratic Party’s Labor Caucus. She was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1976 (Jerry Brown), 1992 (Clinton), 1996 (Clinton), 2000 (Gore), and 2004 (Kerry). Mary would be seen getting off of chartered planes with candidates as they flew around the state. She has signed many ballot arguments, pro and con.

At the convention just concluded, the CFT endorsed single payer health care (SB 840), incentives to retain quality teachers at low-performing schools, improving professional development for preschool teachers, and called for reform of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Los Angeles educator Laura Rico was chosen as CFT’s Senior Vice President. Ms. Rico, a preschool teacher, is a national AFL-CIO Vice President, a national Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, and the president of the CFT’s K-12 ABC Federation of Teachers in southern California.

Elected Secretary-Treasurer by the delegates was Dennis Smith, an accounting professor at Sacramento City College.