From an AFT member and football coach to Vice President nominee

Denise Specht, President of Education Minnesota, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her experience working with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was recently announced as Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s running mate. Specht also discussed Education Minnesota and how she ended up joining the organization after getting her start in Texas.

Education Minnesota is home to 84,450 unionized members. They are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. More than 63,000 licensed educators and more than 11,000 support professionals and student educators are currently active in the union.

Specht explained her journey from joining the teaching profession in Texas to being elected President of Education Minnesota in 2013. Since then, she has been reelected three times. In addition to providing a voice to Minnesota's educators, she serves as Vice President of the AFT and is a member of the NEA’s Political Action Committee. Specht also serves on the Minnesota AFL-CIO general board and executive community. 

With the recent news that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris selected Walz as her running mate, Specht shared her experience working with Walz when he was an AFT member. She also discussed Walz's pro-union work as governor in Minnesota, ensuring that the state’s working class was not taken advantage of by corporations. Specht talked about the work that Walz did to ensure there would not be a voucher program in Minnesota, similar to the programs Florida and Ohio are currently using. She said all her union Brothers and Sisters from Minnesota are excited to do what they can to educate voters on Walz’s history with labor and gave a glimpse into Minnesota’s labor plans for educational outreach throughout the state.

For more on Education Minnesota and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, listen to the show above.