Momentum building for "Strike and National Day of Action to Defend Public Ed" 3/4/10

[Hannah Bell]

http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2010/02/momentum-is-building-across-california.html

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=213637229312

http://www.defendeducation.org/


ENDORSED BY (list in formation):

Organizations

The Adjunct Project, CUNY Graduate Center, New York City
AFSCME 3800, University of Minnesota Clerical Workers
All Nations Alliance
Anakbayan Los Angeles
Anakbayan New York/New Jersey, Jersey City, NJ
Bail Out the People Movement
Baltimore Algebra Project
Baltimore Solidarity Center
California Prison Moratorium Project
California State University Employees Union
Campus Antiwar Network (CAN)
Chicago World Can’t Wait
Chop from the Top Coalition, University of Minnesota
Coalition for Equal Quality Education, Boston
Coalition for Public Education / Coalición por la Educación Pública, New York City
Coalition for Social Reform, UMass-Lowell
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN)
Committee for Revolutionizing the AcaDemy (ComRAD), University of Minnesota
Community Organizing Center for Mother Earth, Columbus, Ohio
Connecticut Students Against the War
CUNY Campaign to Defend Education
Democracy Insurgent, Seattle
DestroyIndustrY, Raleigh, NC
Education For All, San Diego
Fight Imperialism, Stand Together
Free UCR Alliance, UC Riverside
Freedom Road Socialist Organization
Freedom Socialist Party
Georgia State University Progressive Student Alliance
Giant Record Corporation, Amherst, MA
Graduate Student Employees Union, SUNY Stony Brook
Graduate Student Workers United, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St.Paul
Hawai’i Solidarity Committee
Human Rights Action Committee, Framingham State College, MA
Institute for Critical Animal Studies
International Socialist Organization
International Workers and Students for Justice – University of Washington in Seattle
The Kennebunks Peace Department
L.A. County Peace & Freedom Party
League for the Revolutionary Party, New York City
Low-Income Student Alliance, New School University, New York City
March 4 Organizing Committee, CSU Monterey Bay
Massachusetts Student Action Coalition
Massachusetts Students Uniting
May 1st Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights, New York City
National MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán)
Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), Milwaukee
Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), UC San Diego
Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA), USC
National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars & Occupations
Network to Fight for Economic Justice
New School in Exile, New York City
NYC Anti-War Coalition
Oakland Education Association
Olympia Coalition for a Fair Budget, Olympia, WA
People’s Organization for Progress, Newark, NJ
Peoples Video Network
p.o.n.d. records
Progressive Democrats of America, Ohio
Progressive Faculty Network of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Progressive Student Alliance – University of Florida
Progressive Student Alliance, University of Memphis
Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM)
Purchase Polis, SUNY Purchase
PUSH: Ideas into Action, SUNY Purchase
Queer People Of Color Action
Radical Student Union, Bard College
Rebel Diaz Arts Collective, Bronx, NY
Recreate ‘68 Alliance
The Silent Radio DJs
Small Schools Workshop, Chicago
Social Justice Alliance, SUNY Stony Brook
Socialism Now!, Chicago
Socialist Alternative
Socialist Organizer
Socialist Party of Connecticut
Socialist Party USA
Solidarity
SpeakOut – the Institute for Democratic Education & Culture, Oakland, CA
Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA), City College of New York
Students Promoting Engagement Through Activism and Knowledge (SPEAK), Georgia State University
Student / Farmworker Alliance
Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society, Animas, Durango, Coloardo
Students for a Democratic Society, Chicago
Students for a Democratic Society, College Park, University of Maryland
Students for a Democratic Society, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, California
Students for a Democratic Society, Gainesville Area
Students for a Democratic Society, Milwaukee
Students for a Democratic Society / Movement for a Democratic Society, Michigan State University
Students for a Democratic Society, Oklahoma
Students for a Democratic Society, Rochester
Students for a Democratic Society, TFHS
Students for a Democratic Society, UNC-Asheville
Students for a Democratic Society, UNC-Chapel Hill
Students for a Democratic Society, University of Houston
Students for a Democratic Society, University of Minnesota
Students for a Democratic Society, University of Tuscaloosa
Students for a Democratic Society, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Students for Educational Rights, City College of New York
Students for Quality Education, Cal Poly Pomona Chapter
Students Taking Action to Reclaim our Education, University of Maryland
Take Back NYU!
Teachers for a Just Contract, New York City
Teachers Unity Forum, Kerala, India
UCSD Coalition for Educational Justice
United In Campaign Against Budget Cuts, University of Illinois-Chicago
United Socialists of Pittsburgh State
University of Massachusetts-Lowell Coalition for Social Reform
University of Washington Student Worker Coalition, Seattle
UTLA / Project Great Futures / CAMS
UW-Milwaukee Education Rights Campaign
Workers Action
Workers World Party
Young Democratic Socialists, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ


Individuals (*all organizations listed for identification purposes only, listed in order recieved)

Ed Childs, Chief Steward UNITE/HERE L. 26 (Harvard Univ.)*
Frantz Mendes, President, United Steelworkers L. 8751 – Boston School Bus Drivers Union*
Steve Gillis, Vice President, United Steelworkers L. 8751 – Boston School Bus Drivers Union*
Andre Powell, Delegate, Baltimore, Maryland AFL-CIO Metro Central Labor Council*
Phebe Eckfeldt, Harvard Union Rep., Harvard Union of Clerical & Technical Workers (HUCTW)/AFSCME L. 3650*
Mike Gimbel, Local 375, AFSCME delegate to the NYC-CLC & Chairperson of Local 375, AFSCME, Labor/Community Unity Committee*
Heather Cottin, Adjunct Lecturer, History Department, LaGuardia Community College, PSC member*
Peter Cook, Boston Teachers Union, Local 66 MFT AFT, AFL-CIO*
Julia La Riva, member of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA)*
Martha Grevatt, Chair, Civil Rights Committee, UAW Local 122*
Andy Griggs, United Teachers Los Angeles; Co-chair, California Teachers Association Peace and Justice Caucus; Steering Committee, US Labor Against the War*
Susan E. Davis, National Writers Union, United Auto Workers Local 1981*
Robin Anderson, Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) at UMass-Amherst, Part of UAW Local 2322*
Barry Eidlin,UAW Local 2865, University of California Academic Student Employees Union*
Geoff Carens, Union Representative, HUCTW/AFSCME Local 3650*
Dan La Botz, Spanish teacher, Cincinnati Waldorf School, Cincinnati, Ohio*
Robin McCubbin, professor, Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA*
Minnie Bruce Pratt, Professor, Women’s & Gender Studies, Syracuse University*
David Sole, Prof. of Chemistry, Wayne Co. Community College, Detroit.*
Nicholas Camerota, Professor of Philosophy & Political Theory, Springfield (Mass.) Techical Community College*
Cindy Bui, Social Justice Alliance at UC Riverside*
Ana del Rocío, CCNY Students for Educational Rights, New York City*
Sarah Meunier, student, UMASS
Jessica Hollinger, student, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Katherine Johnson, doctoral student, University of San Francisco, middle school teacher
Susan Massad, Associate Professor, Framingham State College*
Eleanor J. Bader, writer and adjunct faculty member, Brooklyn*
Chuck Turner, Boston City Council*, District 7
Colia Clark, Guadeloupe-Haiti Tour USA, Grandmamas For the Release of Mumia Abu Jamal, Richard Wright Centennial 2008-2010*
Dr. Sue Harris, Co-Director, Peoples Video Network*
Imani Henry, Playwright/Performer*
The Most Rev. Filipe C, Teixeira, OFSJC, Diocese of Saint Francis of Assisi*
Billy Wharton, National Co-Chair, Socialist Party USA*
Todd Vachon, Low Society Music*
Christopher Hutchinson, General Strike Comics*
Gloria Rubac, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement*
David Harding, New Brunswick, NJ
Eric Acedo
Abayomi Azikiwe
Jane Chischilly
Jesse Lokahi Heiwa,Hawai’i Solidarity Committee, UN in New York City*
Hon. Charles Barron, New York City Councilmember *
Teresa Gutierrez, International Migrant Alliance, Deputy Secretary General, New York City*
William J. Neville IV, Billings, MT, currently serving in Iraq
Michael Shane,Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice,Detroit, MI*
Marisa, LAUSD, LA*
Cindy Sheehan
Maria C. Federico Brummer, Tucson, AZ
Dan McDowell, Massachusetts Students Uniting, UMass Boston Student Senate*
Tatiana Guerrero, Young Democratic Socialists, New Jersey*
James Tarr, Coalition for Social Reform, Lowell, MA*
Mary Lou Finley, Peace and Freedom Party, San Diego*
Tony Van Der Meer, Adjunct Prof., Africana Studies, UMass Boston*
Gina M. Sartori, Boston Teachers Union*
Chai Montgomery, unit steward, Teamsters Local 214, Ann Arbor, Michigan*
Michel DeMatteis, adjunct lecturer, philosophy, CUNY, New York, NY*
Vanessa Vaile, New Faculty Majority, Mountainair, NM*
Marvin Gentz, Ukiah, CA
Bryan G. Pfeifer, M.S., Union of Part-Time Faculty-AFT, Detroit, Michigan*
Patricia McAfee, California
Mike Alewitz, Labor Art & Mural Project, Central CT State University*
Michael Klonsky, Small Schools Workshop, Chicago*
Cindy Varela Henderson, Peace & Freedom Candidate, 26th S.D., Los Angeles
John Catalinotto, Professional Staff Congress–Bronx Community College, New York, N.Y.*
Anthony J. Nocella, II, Central New York Peace Studies Consortium, SUNY Cortland*
Yves Nibungco, Anakbayan New York/ New Jersey, Jersey City, New Jersey*
John Neal, Charlotte, NC
Tiffany Huang, NewCLA, UCLA*
Nick Theodosis, San Francisco State University, San Francisco*
Martin Rzeszotko, Hunter College*
Luis Roman, McNair Research Scholar, MEChA de UCLA, La Joteria, UCLA*

Endorse the Call by clicking the link below or selecting the page above

Endorse


——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

National Call for March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education
California has recently seen a massive movement erupt in defense of public education — but layoffs, fee hikes, cuts, and the re-segregation of public education are attacks taking place throughout the country. A nationwide resistance movement is needed.

We call on all students, workers, teachers, parents, and their organizations and communities across the country to massively mobilize for a Strike and Day of Action in Defense of Public Education on March 4, 2010. Education cuts are attacks against all of us, particularly in working-class communities and communities of color.

The politicians and administrators say there is no money for education and social services. They say that “there is no alternative” to the cuts. But if there’s money for wars, bank bailouts, and prisons, why is there no money for public education?

We can beat back the cuts if we unite students, workers, and teachers across all sectors of public education — Pre K-12, adult education, community colleges, and state-funded universities. We appeal to the leaders of the trade union movement to support and organize strikes and/or mass actions on March 4. The weight of workers and students united in strikes and mobilizations would shift the balance of forces entirely against the current agenda of cuts and make victory possible.

Building a powerful movement to defend public education will, in turn, advance the struggle in defense of all public-sector workers and services and will be an inspiration to all those fighting against the wars, for immigrants rights, in defense of jobs, for single-payer health care, and other progressive causes.

Why March 4? On October 24, 2009 more than 800 students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education. This massive meeting brought together representatives from over 100 different schools, unions, and organizations from all across California and from all sectors of public education. After hours of open collective discussion, the participants voted democratically, as their main decision, to call for a Strike and Day of Action on March 4, 2010. All schools, unions and organizations are free to choose their specific demands and tactics — such as strikes, rallies, walkouts, occupations, sit-ins, teach-ins, etc. — as well as the duration of such actions.

Let’s make March 4 an historic turning point in the struggle against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes, and the re-segregation of public education.

- The California Coordinating Committee
California Contacts (also refer to the contacts list in development):

http://defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com/
[e-mail]
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=184333923808&ref=ts

Endorsed by:

October 24 Statewide Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education
California Labor Federation
California Faculty Association
California Federation of Teachers
United Teachers of Los Angeles
United Educators of San Francisco
AFSCME Local 444

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. National action days and non-labor strikes haven't amounted to much in the US for

several generations. Tend to be more of a European and Latin American thing. Be interesting is this one does.

[Hannah Bell]

2. teachers = labor. educational staff = labor. university teaching assistants = labor.

etc.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. By non-labor I meant issue events like the one your are publicizing, not contract actions

and yes, we are all labor.

Like I said, they haven't amounted to much in the US in some time. Do you seriously expect anything different this time?

[Hannah Bell]

4. not from you, apparently.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Clearly not from the vast majority of those who would be in scope either

[Hannah Bell]

6. "who would be in scope" = indecipherable.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. In scope? Its a common enough term.

In this particular of an education oriented protest those in the education system (student, teachers, admins, parents) would certainly be in scope. Fire fighters would most likely be out of scope. Surprised you are not familiar with it used in this manner.

[Hannah Bell]

8. whatever you say.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%3A+in+scope&aq=f&aqi=&oq=

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Try "in scope"

It comes back mostly as a contractual term and at times an organizational term. Also used in some programing languages with regards to variables and other data items.

In a organizational context it is used to parse/define who would be included in some sort of definition or action. An example would be that management or salaried employees may be out of scope for the union while the hourly workers would be in scope. Its also used to describe limitations of authority, such as it would be out of scope for a public school to control student attire while off campus and not involved in a school activity.

Back to my original comment, these kinds mass actions have not occurred in the US for quite some time. Is there any realistic expectation that this one will be different?

[Hannah Bell]

10. I did. apparently you didn't read the link.

excuse me, "these kind of mass actions" have in fact occurred quite recently.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/24/california-university-berkeley-budget-protest

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/01/immigrant.day/index.html

etc.


no one knows how they'll turn out until the event. one can get a general idea if they're close to the organizing effort, which i'm not. however, i myself will make an effort to go to anything in my state.

& i'd never start out by disparaging the likelihood of turnout.

passing along the info to all who might be interested.

[druidity33]

11. thanks HB, K&R... nt.

[Catshrink]

12. Last year, when we did this in Arizona...

the backlash from the Legislature was harsh. They passed laws that killed tenure in the state, said districts are no longer required to let teachers know if they don't have contracts by March 15, said tenure cannot be used in a decision to recall a riffed teacher, and allow salaries to be adjusted at any time. There were other provisions. This action was widely seen as retaliation for the teacher protests at the Legislature for shining a light on the backroom dealings of the far, far RW Grover Norquist adherents that run Arizona. These Legislators do not represent or fear their constituents -- they fear Grover Norquist.

Article from Sunday's Arizona Republic about the Grover Norquist influence:

<snip>

Americans for Tax Reform, which Norquist founded in 1985 at the urging of then-President Ronald Reagan, can highlight pledge breakers - something the group did last week when the state Senate passed the tax referral.

"Good evening Arizona pledge breakers," the group's Web site read. It listed the names of four state senators and lamented that they had broken their promise to voters.

Senators, bruised and bloodied from the lengthy tax-hike struggle, shrugged. They included Senate President Bob Burns, R-Peoria, who has consistently voted against tax hikes.

Two days later, 10 House members, including House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, also went back on the pledge, saying the temporary tax hike is needed to keep Arizona from falling off a financial cliff.

During the vote, Rep. Carl Seel, R-Phoenix, read aloud the names of lawmakers who had signed the pledge and said he hoped his colleagues would honor it.

But Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Safford, argued the pledge does not pertain when it's simply a matter of sending a tax-hike question to voters.

Norquist said that's parsing the argument too finely.

More:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/02/07/20100207norquist0207.html

And an older article:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2009/08/10/20090810taxpledge0810.html

[maryf]

13. Golly gee, AFT, NEA, and NYSUT

not on the list...What a surprise!!! Big K&R

[Dinger]

15. I'd Have Thought That The NEA Would Be On There

AFT lean more right, so that doesn't surprise me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. AFT leans right?!

No way. Where the hell did you get THAT idea?

[Dinger]

18. I Would Correct That To Say

NEA is more outspoken on rttt that AFT. This article from the Washington Post gave me hope when the NEA spoke against the duncan disaster. Has the AFT done this? Perhaps they have, but I missed it. Also, I have seen AFT president Randi Weingarten on morning joe and never NEA president Dennis Van Rokel, and I have to wonder why that is, since the NEA is the nation's largest teacher's union. I assume joe scar thinks that the AFT would be more favorable to his view of educations, but I could be wrong on that too.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/08/21/nea_breaks_with_administration.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. I belong to AFT. They are a bit more political than NEA.

Also there is a large AFT presence in NY and in DC. That could explain Randi being on national talk shows. AFT tends to be in urban districts while NEA is suburban and rural.

NEA does seem to have come out stronger against RTTT. But NEA does have twice as many members as AFT.

[Dinger]

20. Thank You, And My Apologies

Just my perception of things. It would be nice if the two unions could merge. I'd hate to see politicians divide us, which I'm afraid they'll try to do.
As another poster said a while back, "we're on our own." This administration is not friendly to public education or teachers, or unions. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. We'll see.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. Well they did try to merge

In 1996 there was a merger vote at both the NEA and AFT conventions. AFT was in favor - somewhere around 96% IIRC. NEA voted no - only around 45% in favor.

It would have created the country's largest union.

I believe to this day that we could have fought against NCLB and would have a stronger voice today if we had merged.

[Dinger]

14. Hannah, This Should Really be In GD

I'm in!

[Hannah Bell]

23. I posted it, but it got zero comments.

[alp227]

17. I'll be there, I'll be there...

Just call my name, and I'll be there.

Yeah, I'm a college freshman and have been hearing about this all over Facebook. I can't just passively let my fellow students suffer under a crumbling university system. We must stand up to the crooks in the government who doesn't really care about us.

[Hannah Bell]

22. i'm glad students are hearing about it. universities are one of the few sites where it's still

relatively easy to organize without much $$$ investment.