Resolutions and Policy
Recognizing the Armenian Genocide
June 12, 2021
Whereas, 1.5 million people were massacred by the Turkish government beginning in 1915; and
Whereas, the U.S. Congress formally passed resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide in 2019; and
Whereas, Turkey has continually denied the genocide;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the CFT will formally recognize the Armenian Genocide; and
Establish annual Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in California
June 12, 2021
Whereas, a national movement of teachers, parents, administrators, scholars, and pupils have come together to proclaim an annual week of action, affirmation, and solidarity during the first week in February called Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action; and
Whereas, CFT recognizes February as Black History Month and urges all individuals to join in celebrating the accomplishments of Black and African Americans during Black History Month; and
Support for HEPA filtration in offices, schools, and colleges
June 12, 2021
Whereas, the Environmental Protection Agency has identified that High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) systems can help in the reduction of airborne viruses; and
Whereas, schools, colleges, worksites, and offices usually have Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units and personnel to service these units; and
Whereas, along with source control cleaning and sanitization, HEPA filtration would decrease student and employee risk of exposure;
Support universal distance learning training standard in the community colleges
June 12, 2021
Whereas, many contingent faculty work at multiple institutions of higher education; and
Whereas, community colleges and universities regularly hire contingent faculty; and
Whereas, contingent faculty are required to hold the same academic qualifications and credentials as their full-time colleagues; and
Whereas, qualified contingent faculty are rehired for years; and
Rise up, Recover, Rebuild: A Vision for the Future of Public Education
June 12, 2021
Whereas, public education is a ladder of opportunity and a place to develop the muscle of civic participation, where we both embrace America’s diversity and forge a common identity rooted in social justice; and
Whereas, the AFT’s founding motto is “Democracy in education, and education for democracy,” which was frequently invoked by Martin Luther King, Jr., Bayard Rustin, and Al Shanker; and
Condemning anti-Asian violence
Whereas, eight people were murdered in Georgia on March 16, 2021, including six Asian American women; and
Whereas, there has been a rise in vicious attacks on Asian Americans throughout the country, including on the elderly; and
Whereas, attacks on Asian American women have a long and sordid history, perpetuated by negative media images and misogyny; and
Whereas, anti-Asian violence is not a new phenomenon, but has deep roots in white supremacy and racism within U.S. society; and
Dismantling systemic racism
Whereas, CFT strongly believes in combating racism and advocating for social justice and has publicly announced support of the Black Lives Matter national movement; and
Whereas, CFT has an obligation to address structural racism by not only condemning racism and white supremacy, but also by proactively working toward systemic change to end white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and institutional racism in the California education system; and
In support of putting green schools at the heart of California’s just transition
Whereas, in the wake of California’s most recent catastrophic wildfires Governor Newsom issued an executive order that directed the state to develop a Just Transition Roadmap by July 15, 2021; and
In support of the PRO Act — Protecting the Right to Organize
Whereas, opinion research consistently shows that a majority of American workers would join a union in their workplace if they did not fear getting fired during an organizing campaign; and
Whereas, the National Labor Relations Act, meant to protect workers in collective action and enable them to organize, has been gutted by adverse court decisions and legislative reforms favoring employers over the years; and
COVID-19 testing and vaccines for California public school students and employees
Whereas, knowledge is power, and during a pandemic it can mean the difference between life and death of a student, a teacher, a parent, grandparent, or loved one; and
Whereas, numerous studies in the United States and around the world have found that children not only get infected from COVID-19, but also play an important role in spreading it. Asymptomatic infected people of all ages are especially inadvertent spreaders of the virus; and
Maintain contact lists of retirees
Whereas, all retirees who were CFT members in good standing when they retired are AFT members for life, and
Whereas, benefits provided by the state of California and by local school and college districts can change after someone retires and retirees need to be informed of these changes, and
Whereas, retired member activists have had their talents enriched by decades of effective dedicated service and productive labor activism, and
Prioritize assignments so vulnerable teachers can work from home
Whereas, COVID-19 is a serious health threat and has already killed over 40,000 people in California alone, and
Whereas, COVID-19 is an airborne illness making enclosed spaces with multiple people in the room highly risky, and
Whereas, Cal/OSHA guidelines do not have an accountability system that is quickly responsive to school safety, and
Whereas, many health conditions prevent people from being able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and;
Reform the Social Security Act to eliminate WEP and GPO
Whereas, Social Security was established in 1935, during the Great Depression, to provide for America’s retirement security and to provide for those in need, for survivors of deceased workers and disabled workers and their families; and
Whereas, in some 15 states in the United States including California, large parts of their public sector employees are not covered by Social Security; and
In favor of a wealth tax to fund a just recovery for California
Whereas, the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent economic collapse along with the national uprising against police brutality and systemic racism have cast a glaring light on the nature of inequality in the United States within healthcare, criminal justice, the economy, and public education; and
Whereas, as most Americans have struggled economically the wealthy have prospered at their expense; and
Rise Up, Recover, Rebuild: Tax wealthiest Californians and pandemic profiteers — invest in California
Whereas, California is experiencing multiple and intersecting crises that preceded but have been exacerbated by a global pandemic: an economic crisis for working people, a healthcare system that is failing large segments of our society, a long overdue reckoning with systemic racism, and a climate crisis; and
Support faculty training that is transferable and equitable in the community colleges
Whereas, many contingent faculty are employed at multiple institutions of higher education and represent the majority of the faculty; and
Whereas, contingent faculty are required to hold the same academic qualifications and credentials as their full-time colleagues; and
Whereas, many qualified contingent faculty continue to be rehired each academic term over many years; and
Whereas, many institutions set their own training programs and may not recognize reciprocity;
Rise Up, Recover, Rebuild: A New Deal for Higher Education
Whereas, the fiscal crisis in higher education has been decades in the making, and the recent public health and economic crises have been used to justify further austerity measures that already undermine the ability of educators to research and teach, and classified professionals to work and support successful educational opportunity; and
Mandate unified health benefits for part-time community college faculty
Whereas, the success of our students depends on the health of faculty; and
Whereas, part-time community college faculty and their eligible partners and dependents should have continuous access to health insurance benefits; and
Whereas, the conditions for establishing initial eligibility for health insurance and maintaining eligibility vary widely among districts and are based on various collective bargaining agreements; and
Align school field trips, curricular excursions to CFT values
Whereas, field trips and curricular excursions are part of the approved curriculum and standards within districts in the state of California, and should not cause harm to students; and
Whereas, these trips are taxpayer funded;
Mental health and social emotional learning for all students
Whereas, California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris has published on the acesaware.org website, “A consensus of scientific research demonstrates that cumulative adversity, especially when experienced during critical and sensitive periods of development, is a root cause to some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive health challenges facing our state and nation;” and