MAKE THE CESAR CHAVEZ HOLIDAY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez’s birthday was established as a legal California state holiday in 2000. It has been established as March 31, or the closest Friday or Monday if March 31 falls on a weekend. The Cesar Chavez holiday was created specifically to give students from elementary school through college the day off from school and workers across California a paid holiday from work; and

WHEREAS, the Chavez holiday celebrates the contributions and struggles of Latinos and immigrants and our communities’ struggles for full equality and justice; and

WHEREAS, Cesar Chavez was a labor leader who represented and advocated for the hopes and aspirations of all working men and women; and

WHEREAS, San Francisco Unified School District, Oakland Unified School District, the University of California, and many other school districts, colleges and universities across California already close in honor of the holiday; and

WHEREAS, Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and dozens of cities and countries throughout  the nation already recognize Cesar Chavez’s birthday as a holiday; and

WHEREAS, the tremendous outpouring of support for Latina/o equality nationwide over the past year makes clear that the time to fully recognize the Cesar Chavez holiday in every school and workplace is NOW!

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers support national and local efforts to recognize the  Cesar Chavez birthday holiday and call for the Chavez holiday to be recognized as a paid holiday for workers and a school holiday for students throughout the nation.