BURLINGAME – The California Teachers Association State Council of Education, comprised of nearly 800 educators, adopted positions on three important initiatives that voters will decide on in November. This democratic process for positions on ballot initiatives involves input from members throughout the state who elect representatives to be their voices at State Council.

CTA State Council voted to:

• Support the Bail Reform Referendum that would overturn California’s ban on cash bail in criminal cases enacted by SB 10 in 2019 although not in effect pending voter input.
• Oppose the Early Release Rollback initiative that would add crimes to the list of violent felonies for which early parole is restricted, recategorize certain types of theft and fraud crimes as wobblers (chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies); and require DNA collection for certain misdemeanors.
• Oppose the Gig-Workers Classification initiative that would override AB 5 of 2019 and instead would consider app-based drivers to be independent contractors and not employees or agents keeping them from earning the minimum wage for all hours worked, social security, normal reimbursements for their costs, overtime pay, and the right to organize.

“CTA believes that every human being should be treated equally and have a fair opportunity to succeed in life. As educators committed to racial equity and abolishing institutional racism that exists in our nation’s systems and structures, we will stand against any and all initiatives that target people of color and threaten the most basic human rights.

“All Californians should be afforded the same basic employment opportunities like being paid a living wage, sick leave, and protections under current law. We will not stand for billion-dollar, multi-national corporations stripping workers of those rights that many long before us fought hard to secure and that we protect each and every day.”

-E. Toby Boyd, CTA President

California’s educators also support the School & Communities First (SCF) initiative, which will close tax loopholes that benefit a small number of corporations and wealthy investors to reclaim $12 billion a year in funding for public education and local services that benefit our communities. SCF is supported by a broad coalition of leaders and organizations throughout California and nationwide.

More information is available at cta.org.

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The 310,000-member California Teachers Association is affiliated with the 3 million-member National Education Association.