CA State Federation of Labor Endorses Education Reform Legislation AB 1381

2 million member organization representing 1,100 unions overwhelmingly approves measure.

(Los Angeles) – Delegates to the California State Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, overwhelmingly endorsed Education Reform Legislation AB 1381 last week. Authored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, AB 1381 would dramatically reform Los Angeles’s educational system.

If there is one issue that impacts organized labor just as much as the traditional worker issues we commonly talk about, its education,” said Business Manager for IBEW Local 11, Marvin Kropke. “Not only does the quality of our educational system directly impact the children of our working men and women, it also determines if we are going to have the qualified workforce to fill the jobs of tomorrow.”

AB 1381 dramatically reforms Los Angeles’s educational system by rescuing our lowest-performing schools, empowering teachers and parents with the tools they need to improve our schools, uniting local leaders to collaborate with the school district and creating accountability by promoting the Superintendent from General Manager to CEO, allowing the Board of Education to concentrate on setting policy and serving parents and families.

There is no doubt that we need to see some form of change within our educational system when 50% of our African American and Latino students do not graduate in four years and only 22% of our 9th graders are ready for college,” said Dave Gillotte, parent and President of the International Association of Firefighters Union Local 1014. “AB 1381 won’t solve our issues overnight, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

AB 1381 was recently approved by the Senate Education Committee. The bill currently sits in the Senate Appropriations committee awaiting review.

Now we are fully prepared to move this legislation forward with the support of organized labor across California,” said Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary -Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “We will now actively seek the support of the State Legislature.”