CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS

WHEREAS, individual rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States of America and its Amendments are the foundation of our democracy; and

WHEREAS, attacks on those rights, from both outside and inside government, have been increasing in frequency and virulence; and

WHEREAS, the presentation of American democratic institutions has been among the most important commitments of our union since its inception; and

WHEREAS, as efforts to have teachers and other public employees subject to demeaning and unfair drug and lie detector tests have already occurred; and

WHEREAS, one school district in New York state has already attempted to unilaterally enforce drug testing for teachers:

RESOLVED, that the AFT and the AFL-CIO actively support legislation now before the Congress that would severely restrict the use of such tests so as to strengthen the civil and human rights of public and private sector employees; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT shall stand in opposition to all efforts to erode the protections currently provided under the Constitution; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT shall use all available resources to combat attacks on Constitutional protections that affect the AFT or any of its affiliated locals.