Resolutions and Policy

Overview

Policies, Positions and Resolutions

The CFT passes resolutions on a wide range of issues that affect members in our different membership constituencies and that address other state, national and international issues of importance to the union and to our vision for California and beyond. Many resolutions are passed at the union’s biennial Convention, but the State Council and Executive Council also adopt resolutions.

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Resolution

Support and defend undocumented members and students
March 25, 2018

Whereas, the CFT has a strong record of advocating for the rights of undocumented students and workers and of reaffirming solidarity with immigrant students, families, and communities; and

Whereas, President Obama took executive action to grant conditional and temporary status to 800,000 undocumented youth, granting them the right to work legally, by implementing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012; and

Resolution

Increase funding for our students
March 25, 2018

Whereas, California’s current funding system is below the national per pupil average of $12,252 per student; and

Whereas, California’s current per pupil funding is $10,291 and places us at 41st in per pupil funding in the nation; and

Whereas, California is the fifth largest economy in the world; and

Whereas, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) has generated a significant increase in funding to schools in California yet we still fall far below the national average; and

Resolution

Seek sensible adjustments to CalSTRS contributions
March 25, 2018

Whereas, the financial crisis of 2007 caused by unethical lending practices of America’s largest financial institutions negatively impacted the health of CalSTRS; and

Whereas, in order to rectify a projected $74 billon unfunded liability within CalSTRS, the California Legislature passed and the governor signed AB 1469 (Bonta, D-Oakland) in June 2014; and

Whereas, AB 1469 was passed with limited open, public debate; and

Resolution

Support for organizing noon duty staff in local unions
March 25, 2018

Whereas, over 1,500 noon duty staff across the state of California provide services to our students, parents, teachers, and support staff; and

Whereas, noon duty staff provide a safe, caring, nurturing, and welcoming learning environment for students; and

Whereas, noon duty staff are some of the lowest paid workers in a school district; lack the protection from unfair treatment and inequitable work hour distribution; and

Resolution

Extend post-retirement health insurance coverage to COBRA participants
March 25, 2018

Whereas, currently, retiring teachers and college faculty (and their spouse) enrolled in a district’s health benefit plan who are not eligible for district-paid, post-retirement benefits, have the right under California Education Code, Section 7000 (sometimes known as AB 528), to buy into a district medical and dental insurance plan once retired under CalSTRS; and

Whereas, this section of the California Education Code does not specifically include those currently on the district’s COBRA plan; and

Resolution

Oppose uses of retirement funds that enable privatizers of public education
March 25, 2018

Whereas, for the last several decades, wealthy individuals, using their for-profit companies, foundations, and fake grassroots groups, have been pushing for what they call “reform” of public education, from pre-K through higher education, but their “reform” is actually privatization that diverts public education tax dollars into private profits; and

Whereas in preK-12 these policies include but are not limited to:

Resolution

Require charter schools to participate in CalSTRS
March 25, 2018

Whereas, the Charter Schools Act of 1992 granted charter schools the option of participating in CalSTRS or adopting another qualified retirement benefit plan for their employees; and

Whereas, currently 927 out of 1,085 California charter schools have opted to participate in CalSTRS, however the number of new charter schools electing to not participate in CalSTRS has increased in recent years raising concerns over the potential impact on the long-term funding of CalSTRS; and

Resolution

Raise community college part-time faculty workload to 80 percent
March 25, 2018

Whereas, existing California law (Assembly Bill 951, 2008) establishes that the contingent, part-time faculty workload is capped at 67 percent, amounting to no more than 10 units, or approximately two to three classes; and

Whereas, existing California law (Assembly Bill 951, 2008) establishes that the contingent, part-time faculty workload is capped at 67 percent, amounting to no more than 10 units, or approximately two to three classes; and

Resolution

Expand shared governance for UC non-Senate faculty
March 25, 2018

Whereas, in its 2012 report on “The Inclusion in Governance of Faculty Members holding Contingent Appointments,” the American Association of University Professors concluded that, “The inclusion in governance roles of faculty who hold contingent appointments…is crucial to establishing strong faculty governance” and recommends that contingent faculty have voting rights and be compensated for serving on governing bodies such as Senate committees; and

Resolution

Protect UC lecturers against union busting by misclassification
March 25, 2018

Whereas, low-wage, low-benefit jobs at the University of California detract from the UC’s mission of education, research, and service and harm the communities in which UC campuses are situated; and

Whereas, in the past, UC campuses have inappropriately appointed non-Senate faculty who ought to be UC-AFT lecturers into non-represented positions such as “Adjunct Professor” and “Visiting Assistant Professor” in order to depress wages and benefits and deprive workers of union protections; and

Resolution

Revise the community college Faculty Obligation Number to include noncredit instruction
March 25, 2018

Whereas, we, the Adult and Career Technical Education Committee, made up of K-12 adult schools, noncredit community colleges, and community technical education programs, are concerned with the Faculty Obligation Number (FON) being limited to only credit full-time faculty; and

Whereas, both credit and noncredit full-time faculty benefit students and colleges by providing critical services such as academic advising and ongoing curriculum development, and by participating in institutional planning and shared governance; and

Resolution

Support academic status of UC librarians
March 25, 2018

Whereas, it is the policy of the state of California to encourage the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, and learning through the free exchange of ideas among the faculty, students, and staff of the University of California; and

Resolution

Fight sexism and racism at UC by analyzing wage gap and eliminating Student Evaluations of Teaching in personnel decisions
March 25, 2018

Whereas, women are disproportionately appointed into non-Senate faculty positions at the University of California, e.g., Senate faculty are one-third women, while lecturers are one-half women; and

Whereas, on average, Latina women in the United States are paid 54 cents, Black women are paid 63 cents, white women are paid 80 cents, and Asian women are paid 85 cents for every dollar a man makes; and

Resolution

Students not suspects: Oppose random searches
March 25, 2018

Whereas, students attend school for education and socialization; and

Whereas, students, especially in communities of color, are often treated with the presumption of guilt and their property is searched without probable cause, taking away valuable educational minutes and training students to become complacent in their rights; and

Whereas, random searches perpetuate and sustain the school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline; and

Resolution

Oppose and reject McTeacher’s Nights
March 25, 2018

Whereas, McTeacher’s Night is promoted as a fundraiser when in fact, it is a thinly veiled marketing tactic by which McDonald’s sells its products and promotes its brand to students and their families; and

Whereas, McDonald’s exploits school funding shortfalls in order to market — and profit from — the sale of junk food to children, undermining public institutions and teachers; and