American Federation of Teachers Michigan (AFT MI) Endorses Rep. Tim Greimel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Tuesday, March 27th 2018

Contact: Kyle Buda | (517) 862–1107 | Budakyle@gmail.com

American Federation of Teachers Michigan (AFT MI) Endorses Rep. Tim Greimel

AUBURN HILLS, MI — Tim Greimel, State Representative and Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, has received the endorsement of the American Federation of Teachers Michigan. With this endorsement, Rep. Greimel has secured the backing of America’s two largest teacher unions (NEA endorsed on 2/14).

The American Federation of Teachers Michigan is the state affiliate of the AFT which is one of America’s largest unions and has more than 1.7 million members. AFT Michigan represents PreK-12 teachers, educational support staff, tenured and non-tenured faculty, academic staff and graduate employees.

“I’m honored to receive the support of AFT Michigan,” said Rep. Greimel. “Throughout my time on the Rochester School Board and in the Michigan Legislature I’ve fought back against draconian efforts by Republicans to decimate public education funding.” Greimel went on to say, “Betsy DeVos is a shameful head of the Department of Education. In Congress, I will fight to stop her anti-student, anti-teacher, anti-union, anti-disability, and pro-profiteering agenda.”

“Tim Greimel has long been a strong advocate for public education. From his years on the Rochester School Board to his time in the Michigan Legislature, Tim has demonstrated a commitment to public education,” said AFT Michigan President David Hecker. “Public education has been under constant threat in recent years, but Tim Greimel has always fought for high quality public education for every student, no matter their race, gender, or zip code.”

As a State Legislator, Rep. Greimel has consistently fought Republican efforts to undermine public education.

• Greimel Says Snyder Prioritizes Big Corporations and the Wealthy over Education. Snyder’s priorities have favored “big corporations and the wealthy, instead of investing in education and providing meaningful tax relief to everyday people,” Greimel said. [1/13/2014]
• Our Kids are Going To Overcrowded Schools so that $2 Billion Could Be Diverted to Corporations, Greimel Stated. “Our kids are going to overcrowded schools so that $2 billion in school funding could be diverted to those corporate giveaways,” he said. [States News Service, 1/16/2013]
• Greimel Opposes Legislation That Uses the School Aid Fund to Pay for Tax Incentives for Big Corporations. Greimel is opposed to legislation introduced to paper over a budget deficit in the current fiscal year. The cuts siphon money away from the School Aid Fund to fill a hole created by overly generous tax incentives for big corporations. [States News Service, 2/18/2015] He believes School Aid Fund money should only go to Michigan’s kids. [States News Service, 2/3/2015]
• Greimel Says Michiganders Need a Good Education, But Governor not Prioritizing Education in his Budget. “A good education is the key to the future success of today’s children. We need class sizes reduced and the textbooks and technology needed to prepare students to compete for high-paying jobs,” he said. [2/5/2014]
• Greimel Says the Republican Legislature Needs to Be Held Accountable for Not Investing Enough Money in Public Education. Greimel has criticized the GOP Legislature for a lack of leadership by not investing enough money in public education. “And they need to be held accountable for that,” Greimel said. [The Detroit News, 1/17/2014]

Tim Greimel is seeking the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. He has served as a state representative for the 29th state House district since 2012 and previously served as an Oakland County Commissioner and as President of the Rochester Community School Board. Since entering the race, Rep. Greimel has received the support of 29 labor unions, the National Organization for Women, Former Senator Carl Levin, Former Congressman Dale Kildee, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, and many others.