A LIVING WAGE AND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR SRPs

WHEREAS, the AFT represents more than 355,000 paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (SRPs); and

WHEREAS, SRPs represent professions such as: teaching assistant, teacher aide, security personnel, school secretary, food service worker, health aide, transportation worker, paraprofessional, custodial and maintenance worker; and

WHEREAS, SRPs perform in a variety of important roles, including: transporting students to school, preparing nutritious meals for children, keeping students healthy and school buildings clean and secure and working directly with students as teaching assistants and teacher aides; and

WHEREAS, some states have enacted recent laws and regulations requiring significant increases in education, professional development and training on the part of all SRPs; and

WHEREAS, SRPs deserve the right, through the collective bargaining process, to secure a living wage; and

WHEREAS, often substandard wages add to the families’ struggle to provide the tools necessary to help address issues associated with the achievement gap; and

WHEREAS, SPRs deserve the right, through the collective bargaining process, to access to employer-provided affordable healthcare benefits:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers continue to work with other national organizations to provide training and workshops for staff and locals to secure a living wage for SRPs; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers continue to work with other national organizations to provide workshops at the state and national level to educate locals and provide strategies on addressing these critical issues; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers and its staff encourage locals to make access to affordable healthcare a priority in collective bargaining; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers share the content of this resolution with the AFT PSRP program and policy council; and

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers continue to support legislative initiatives that respond to the need for a living wage and access to affordable healthcare for all AFT members and all working women and men.