Report: Teacher, Activist Steve Conn Elected President Of Detroit Teachers Union

DETROIT (WWJ) -- Longtime Detroit high school teacher and activist, Steve Conn has been elected to head the Detroit Federation of Teachers union, according to the group By Any Means Necessary.

Conn, who plans to take office on Tuesday, says he will immediately call a meeting with his membership and the community to begin a fight against -- what he calls -- the attacks on the schools, teachers and students by the Snyder administration.

"Detroit teachers voted today to stand up to the attacks on their schools, their jobs and their students' futures by Snyder and his executive managers," Conn said in a statement. "I take office Tuesday, and am immediately calling a mass meeting of the union membership and community to begin a fight against these attacks, to defend public education, and to win equal, quality education for our students."

Conn, a civil rights activist, ran on the Equal Opportunity Now/By Any Means Necessary (EON/BAMN) slate. According to BAMN, Conn won the election by 16 votes.

"We must vote on a plan of action for the DFT to join the citizens of Detroit in a fight to restore democracy and dignity to all of the people of Detroit," Conn concluded in the statement.