This May Day we have a friend of labor in the White House
As we celebrate May Day this Saturday, President Joe Biden is already establishing himself as one of the most pro-union and pro-public education presidents since the New Deal. In his first one hundred days in office, he passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue plan, which focused relief on everyday working people. And this week, he proposed its companion legislation, the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan, which includes significant investments in public education from free pre-K through community college, expands child nutrition programs, and funds a commitment to growing the teacher pipeline to address educator shortages and diversity.
At his joint address to Congress this week, Biden made clear where he stands.
“Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class,” he said. “And that’s why I’m calling on Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act – the PRO Act — and send it to my desk to support the right to unionize.”
Join a May Day march in SF or LA this Saturday
This Saturday you are invited to join CFT members, fellow workers, and advocates at major May Day rallies in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In San Francisco people will gather at 10 a.m. at Market St. and the Embarcadero, for a parade and rally for workers’ rights and racial justice. The parade will highlight the triple threat of rising income inequality, racial injustice, and COVID-19 that has hit working families hard. More information here.
In Los Angeles people will gather at 10 a.m. at the Los Angeles State Historic Park near Downtown. This year’s theme will be “The Work Continues / La Lucha Sigue,'' focusing on lifting up immigrants, workers' rights, and fighting against anti-asian hate. More information here.
Remember to wear your union t-shirt, wear a mask, and keep 6 feet of distance!
Despite solid support for Governor Newsom, recall election qualifies
On Monday California Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced that enough valid signatures have been collected to trigger a recall election for Governor Gavin Newsom. The petition drive for the recall, financed by conservative, anti-union activists from throughout the state and country, was heavily focused on criticizing how the Governor has handled the issue of returning to in-person instruction.
But a PPIC poll released this week shows strong support for Governor Newsom and his handling of schools during the pandemic. According to the survey, voters overwhelmingly approve of how the governor has handled the issue of returning to in-person instruction (59-40), with two-thirds of voters approving how their local school districts have handled the issue. Additionally, a plurality of voters believe that the return to in-person instruction is proceeding at the right pace.
PPIC president and CEO Mark Baldassare told the San Francisco Chronicle, “It just speaks to the fact these are extraordinary times and that people have factored this in. I think lots of people are feeling (Newsom and school districts are) doing the best they can under the circumstances.”
