AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

WHEREAS, the protection of seniority is one of the long-time principles of the trade union movement; and

WHEREAS, affirmative action programs are essential to insure an end to the historic and continuing discrimination against racial minorities and women; and

WHEREAS, affirmative action programs are a recognition that discriminatory hiring and promotion practices will not be ended on a voluntary basis alone; and

WHEREAS, both seniority and affirmative action are important protections against arbitrary and unjust actions by the employer; and

WHEREAS, school districts are threatening massive layoffs of staff, and other cutbacks; and

WHEREAS, AFT locals need maximum internal unity, and the strongest possible coalition with parents and other supporters of public education, to fight such layoffs; and

WHEREAS, minority and women staff are often disproportionately victimized, by a factor of three or four, by such layoffs; and

WHEREAS, unions that simply oppose layoffs by taking a "no-layoff" position, without attacking the special inequities faced by minority and women workers, find themselves split; and

WHEREAS, union support for affirmative action enables a union to unite all its members to fight together for jobs for everyone; and

WHEREAS, union support for affirmative action is a prerequisite to winning the support of minority communities, and the women's movement for our just struggle against layoffs and other cutbacks:

RESOLVED, that this AFT convention encourages its locals and state federations to work together with affirmative action supporters in their communities to protect seniority and affirmative action gains by preventing layoffs; and

RESOLVED, that this AFT convention urge AFT locals to negotiate "no-layoff" clauses in collective bargaining contracts.