CA: Contra Costa County Adult Educators Support Undocumented Workers

These teachers should be commended for this stand. Many union locals have an active rank and file membership and can take stands like this, reaching out to the wider labor movement and the unorganized and our communities beginning the process of changing the harmful concessionary policies of the present leadership. This pandemic, a market driven crisis, has exposed the complete failure of this system to provide even the basic needs of a modern society. We are all workers in this together and it is in all our interests to offer as a counter to the brutal and often racist attacks on undocumented workers with international working class solidarity in action. FFWP Admin.

This motion was adopted by the Adult School Teachers United (ASTU) in West Contra Costa USD.  Please circulate widely.

Whereas Gov. Newsom recently announced the creation of a $125m emergency relief fund for undocumented workers, none of whom are eligible for the federal stimulus, the centerpiece being a one-time payment of $500 to 150,000 individuals

Whereas, the undocumented pay $3 billion in state and local taxes every year
https://www.kqed.org/news/11809657/new-covid-19-relief-benefits-leaves-out-some-undocumented-immigrants

Whereas California's cost-of-living is extraordinarily high
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44725026.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/10/americas-10-most-expensive-states-to-live-in-2019.html

"Resolved:  ASTU considers the one-time $500 grant to undocumented workers at best token.  It is barely 25% of the weekly wage or 6% of the monthly wage the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers necessary to lift a family of four in the Bay Area above the poverty line. This is approximately $47.50/hour total per household before taxes extrapolating from figures provided by HUD.

As the 5th largest economy in the world, and with Silicon Valley, agribusiness, defense contractors and Hollywood sitting on huge capital reserves, California must provide a living wage to all. Instead it has failed to even match the $600 a week Unemployment Insurance (UI) boost provided by the federal government which itself is grossly inadequate.

We will attempt to circulate our position widely in the labor movement and in the immigrants' rights community, and we call for united labor actions to fight for the necessary level of financial support.” 

Contact:

Kristen Pursley, President,

Adult School Teachers United (ASTU)

(510)-741-8359