Resolutions and Policy

Whereas, COVID-19 is a global pandemic that is impacting the world to a degree we have not seen in a lifetime. We are experiencing extremely unusual and unexpected circumstances that negatively affect all aspects of teaching and learning, work and life;

Whereas, the economic impact of COVID-19 has surpassed the economic recession of 2008 and may become as significant as the Great Depression;

Whereas, the current unemployment rate has already surpassed 30 million applicants and is steadily increasing;

Whereas, educators in California know the struggle our undocumented families face in one of the richest states, in the richest country in the world; and 

Whereas, our union, along with the AFT, has advocated for legal and worker rights and protections for undocumented people, including supporting the demand to shut down inhumane detention centers, an end to the ICE raids, and comprehensive immigration reform; and

Whereas, discrimination contributes to the underrepresentation of historically marginalized groups;

Whereas, conscious and unconscious bias can affect the learning and teaching environment — both online and offline — in a detrimental way and create a hostile working and learning environment;

Whereas, President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; and

Whereas, the United States does not have the supplies that it needs to fight the novel coronavirus, including PPE for healthcare workers such as N95 respirator masks, medical supplies and devices such as ventilator machines for patients who are having difficulty breathing, and diagnostic testing supplies including testing swabs and testing reagents; and  

Whereas, private equity firms, hedge funds, and other financial entities make exorbitant fees for investing other people’s money; and

Whereas, the owners of these firms receive up to 20 percent of the profits on these investments of other people’s money as “carried interest”; and

Whereas, the federal government taxes carried interest at only 20 percent; and

Whereas, regular income received by high-income private equity and hedge fund managers would face a tax rate of 37 percent; and

Whereas, the stock markets do not accurately reflect the underlying health of the U.S. economy, but rather are primarily driven by the speculative bets made by ultrawealthy speculators; and

Whereas, the daily shifts in the values of corporate stocks have almost no impact on the lives of most Americans; and

Whereas, less than half of all Americans directly own shares of corporate stock, and less than a third own more than $5,000 worth of stock; and

Whereas, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that “Special Education is a service, not a place;” and

Whereas, as their Project Based Learning (PBL) project, students from El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera have requested the removal of any special education label, while increasing rigorous A-G curriculum coursework, academic awards upon graduation, and preparation for continuing education; and

Whereas, the safety of the faculty, staff and students is of utmost importance; and

Whereas, lockdowns are becoming more common and can last for hours with no facilities for sanitation; and

Whereas, in the event of an emergency or lockdown, educators become disaster service workers (California Education Code Sections 3100-3109) and are expected to serve the institution and students; and

Whereas, the current text of Section 3579.e of the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) reads: “the only appropriate representation units including members of the academic senate of the University of California shall be either a single statewide unit consisting of all eligible members of the senate, or divisional units consisting of all eligible members of a division of the senate;” and