It’s Groundhog Day

As the Fall semester begins, we’re back in negotiations and, once again phone banking and spreading the word in a call-to-action to our family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to VOTE NO on the RECALL.

Our negotiations this time can be called “effects bargaining”— to reach an agreement with management about the effects of LACCD Board policies (BP 2800 — on face coverings) and BP 2900 (vaccinations or testing), which were passed at its August 4 meeting. We are working to find common ground with the other LACCD labor unions. But ultimately, our goal is to negotiate the safest environment we can for our members.

Six months ago — in March 2021 — Governor Newsom declared that California would “open” on June 15. And it almost worked. But by July we were introduced to “COVID-19 variant D” and the environment in which we negotiated our Return-to-Work Memorandum of Understanding (RTW MOU) had changed. Who knew — and who would have believed — that so many Americans are not vaccinated against COVID-19 and its variant. Therefore, we continue to fight for testing, tracing, vaccination, ventilation, and mitigation strategies (including hand hygiene, masking, and physical distancing).

While we continue to advocate for safety in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also continue to urge our members to take political action: VOTE NO on the RECALL. Period. Hard stop. It’s the action we must take to maintain the path that California is on: VOTE NO on the RECALL. Don’t worry about voting for a replacement. Just VOTE NO on the RECALL. This is not about persuading people about a candidate or a ballot proposition. This is about reminding our family, friends, and neighbors to VOTE NO on the RECALL. This is the most important election of 2021. This election will impact us and what we stand for in the years to come. VOTE NO on the RECALL and urge others to do the same.



Stay safe. Stay well.  

In Unity,

Joanne Waddell

AFT 1521 President