National Call for March 4 Strike and Day of Action
to Defe
[please excuse duplicate
postings]
Hello Folks,
You will find below and attached:
a) The National Call for March 4
b) The Statewide Call for March 4
c) El Llamamiento Estatal en Español
Please forward these calls widely
and push for your organizations and schools to endorse the March 4
call(s) and begin mobilizing now. Momentum is building across the
state and nationally -- March 4 can be an historic turning point for
our struggles!
************************
National Call for March 4
Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public Education
California has recently seen a
massive movement erupt in defense of public education -- but layoffs,
fee hikes, cuts, and the re-segregation of public education are
attacks taking place throughout the country. A nationwide resistance
movement is needed.
We call on all students, workers, teachers, parents, and their
organizations and communities across the country to massively mobilize
for a Strike and Day of Action in Defense of Public Education on March
4, 2010. Education cuts are attacks against all of us, particularly in
working-class communities and communities of color.
The politicians and administrators say there is no money for education
and social services. They say that "there is no alternative" to
the cuts. But if there's money for wars, bank bailouts, and prisons,
why is there no money for public education?
We can beat back the cuts if we
unite students, workers, and teachers across all sectors of public
education -- Pre K-12, adult education, community colleges, and
state-funded universities. We appeal to the leaders of the trade union
movement to support and organize strikes and/or mass actions on March
4. The weight of workers and students united in strikes and
mobilizations would shift the balance of forces entirely against the
current agenda of cuts and make victory possible.
Building a powerful movement to defend public education will, in turn,
advance the struggle in defense of all public-sector workers and
services and will be an inspiration to all those fighting against the
wars, for immigrants rights, in defense of jobs, for single-payer
health care, and other progressive causes.
Why March 4?
On October 24, 2009 more than 800
students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the
Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education. This massive meeting
brought together representatives from over 100 different schools,
unions, and organizations from all across California and from all
sectors of public education. After hours of open collective
discussion, the participants voted democratically, as their main
decision, to call for a Strike and Day of Action on March 4, 2010. All
schools, unions and organizations are free to choose their specific
demands and tactics - such as strikes, rallies, walkouts,
occupations, sit-ins, teach-ins, etc. - as well as the duration of
such actions.
Let's make March 4 an historic
turning point in the struggle against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes,
and the re-segregation of public education.
-- The California Coordinating
Committee
********************
California Statewide Call
for March 4 Strike and Day of Action To Defend Public
Education
On October 24, 2009 more than 800
students, workers, and teachers converged at UC Berkeley at the
Mobilizing Conference to Save Public Education. This massive meeting
brought together representatives from over 100 different schools,
unions, and organizations from all across California and from all
sectors of public education -- Pre K-12, Adult Education, CC, CSU and
UC -- to "decide on a statewide action plan capable of winning this
struggle, which will define the future of public education in this
state, particularly for the working class and communities of
color."
After hours of open collective
discussion, the conference democratically voted, as its principal
decision, to call for a statewide Strike and Day of Action on March 4,
2010. The conference decided that all schools, unions and
organizations are free to choose their specific demands and tactics --
such as strikes, walkouts, march to Sacramento, rallies, occupations,
sit-ins, teach-ins, etc. -- for March 4, as well as the duration of
such actions.
We refuse to let those in power continue to pit us against each other.
If we unite, we have the power to shut down business-as-usual and to
force those in power to grant our demands. Building a powerful
movement to defend public education will, in turn, advance the
struggle in defense of all public-sector workers and services.
We call on all students, workers, teachers, parents, and their
organizations across the state to endorse this call and massively
mobilize and organize for the Strike and Day of Action on March 4.
Let's make this an historic turning point in the struggle against
the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes, and educational segregation in
California.
********************
Llamamiento: 4 de marzo de
2010: ¡Día de Huelga y de Acción Para Defender la Educación
Pública!
El día 24 de octubre de 2009 más de 800 estudiantes, trabajadores,
y profesores convergieron en la Universidad de Berkeley en la
Conferencia Estatal Para Defender la Educación Pública.
Esta reunión masiva agrupó a representantes de más de 100
diferentes escuelas, sindicatos y organizaciones de todas partes de
California y de todos los sectores de la educación pública - Pre
K-12, Educación de Adultos, CC, CSU y UC - para "decidir sobre
un plan de acción en todo el estado capaz de ganar esta lucha, que
definirá el futuro de la educación pública en este estado,
particularmente para la clase trabajadora y las comunidades de
color".
Después de horas de discusión colectiva abierta, la conferencia
votó democráticamente, como su decisión principal, un
llamamiento a un Día de Huelga y de Acción Para Defender la
Educación Pública, a realizarse el 4 de marzo de 2010. La
Conferencia decidió que todas las escuelas, sindicatos y
organizaciones son libres de elegir sus demandas y sus tácticas
específicas - tales como huelgas, paros, marcha a Sacramento,
manifestaciones, ocupaciones, plantones, etc. - el 4 de marzo.
Asimismo son libres de determinar la duración de dichas
acciones.
Nos negamos a dejar que aquellos en el poder nos opongan l@s un@s
contra l@s otr@s. Si nos unimos, tenemos el poder para cerrar las
escuelas y para obligar a quienes tienen el poder de satisfacer
nuestras demandas. La construcción de un movimiento de gran alcance
para defender la educación pública, a su vez, permitirá el
avance de la lucha en defensa de todos los trabajadores del sector de
servicios públicos.
Hacemos un llamamiento a tod@s l@s estudiantes, trabajadores,
profesores, padres de familia, y sus organizaciones en todo el estado
a aprobar la presente convocatoria y de forma masiva movilizarse y
organizarse en este Día de Huelga y de Acción Para Defender la
Educación Pública el 4 de marzo de 2010.
Marquemos con esta jornada de lucha un giro histórico en la lucha
contra los recortes, despidos, alzas de colegiaturas, y segregación
educativa en California.