WHEREAS, the UFT has always defended our students and their right to a quality public education; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has threatened Title I school funding to districts like New York City for the curriculum choices made in schools; and

WHEREAS, the threatened elimination of the U.S. Department of Education would endanger access to financial aid for millions of students and would hobble the federal oversight of special education as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act; and

WHEREAS, the illegal firing of an National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member has paralyzed that agency’s ability to enforce labor protections, and multiple labor unions for the federal workforce have filed lawsuits to protect their right for undue termination under federal labor law; and

WHEREAS, these attacks on public sector unions and collective bargaining that play a crucial role in advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions, and equitable treatment for educators and all workers, students, families, and communities; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Justice department has changed longstanding federal policy to permit immigration raids in schools, hospitals and churches; and

WHEREAS, the federal administration has also threatened funding from school districts like ours that allow students to compete on athletic teams matching their gender identity; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the UFT will initiate coordination, collaboration, member-to-member education and dialogue, and other joint initiatives with AFT and NEA local and national bodies to defeat these attacks; and be it further

RESOLVED, the UFT will actively support and encourage the resistance of our labor siblings, with the knowledge that if their protections are weakened or ignored, ours could be next; and be it further

RESOLVED, the UFT will encourage school-based committees of members to engage in political mobilization to defend public education, immigrant students and teachers, and trans and gender-non-conforming students and teachers against these attacks; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the UFT will mobilize its members and call on its labor and community allies for an escalating campaign of actions under the slogan “Hands Off Our Schools” that will include color days at schools to show solidarity, flyerings directed at communities and parents, local community rallies/press conferences with allied groups, and pickets at federal offices; and be it further

RESOLVED, that this campaign will culminate in a series of actions with congressional electeds this spring to demonstrate that New Yorkers stand with the public education system against these attacks.