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Educators for a Democratic Union Platform
Inspired by educators around the country, the foundation of our platform is to advance the struggle for racial, social, and economic justice. EDU members discussed and voted on this platform this past winter.
1) WE BELIEVE IN AND WILL FIGHT FOR free, democratically governed, high quality public education for all, from preschool through college and university as a right of all of our residents.
2) WE BELIEVE that fighting for an economically and racially just society is true education reform, the only way truly to create the public schools and the Commonwealth we want to live in. We will build a union that uses its collective power to fight racism, and economic inequality, and to challenge oppression in all forms.
3) WE BELIEVE that the MTA is strongest when rank-and-file members organize for power to solve problems in their workplaces and communities.
4) WE REJECT policies of economic austerity that have intentionally starved
school budgets and promoted efforts to privatize or corporatize our schools,
including via the strategies of charter schools, turnaround plans, and takeovers.
5) WE REJECT a regime of testing, evaluation, and standardization that damages educators and students.
6) Free, high-quality public higher education
7) We stand for the continued expansion of civil rights, for people of color, for immigrants, for people of all genders and sexual preferences.
8) WE BELIEVE in dignity, respect, and autonomy in the workplace for all
educators, particularly the most undervalued and least protected.
9) WE BELIEVE the MTA must work in coalition with community and civil rights groups, other unions, and students and parents to achieve the public schools and colleges Massachusetts deserves.
10) WE BELIEVE in union democracy at all levels. We believe that contested
elections and vigorous debate are essential elements of democracy.
11) WE STAND in solidarity with educators and other workers in the U.S. and abroad. Their struggle is our struggle.
Statements From EDU’s Candidates For MTA President And Vice President
Who should EDU support for MTA president? For vice-president? We’d like to make that a democratic decision of the EDU membership, in an open and transparent process.
Download statements from EDU’s candidates for MTA president and vice president here. Then make your voice heard by voting at your regional candidate forum or at our next EDU meeting: Saturday, June 24, 12:30-3:30, at Watertown Public Library!
Raise Up Massachusetts!
Join ‘Raise Up Massachusetts‘ in the campaign for the Fair Share amendment to the State Constitution to set aside 4 cents for every dollar of taxable income over one million dollars, to be earmarked for education and transportation. If successful, it would bring an estimated additional 2 billion dollars in state revenue to support the citizens of the Commonwealth.
From the campaign website:
The best way to help working families and build a stronger economy for us all is to make sure that we have quality public schools for our children, affordable public higher education, and a transportation system that allows people get to school or work, lets customers get to businesses, and helps everyone fulfill their daily tasks. Without investment in these common goals, working families fall behind and our communities suffer. New revenue is necessary to rebuild crumbling roads, bridges, and paths, improve our public schools, invest in fast and reliable public transportation, make public higher education affordable, expand opportunities for healthy walking and bicycling, and give every child access to high-quality early childhood education and preschool programs.
Below is the full text of the proposed amendment:
Amendment Article XLIV of the Massachusetts Constitution is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph at the end thereof: To provide the resources for quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation, all revenues received in accordance with this paragraph shall be expended, subject to appropriation, only for these purposes. In addition to the taxes on income otherwise authorized under this Article, there shall be an additional tax of 4 percent on that portion of annual taxable income in excess of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) reported on any return related to those taxes. To ensure that this additional tax continues to apply only to the commonwealth’s highest income residents, this $1,000,000 (one million dollar) income level shall be adjusted annually to reflect any increases in the cost of living by the same method used for federal income tax brackets. This paragraph shall apply to all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2019.
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