Zero COVID Now! Stop Privatization!
Watch the video of the rally held in Sacramento on Monday, September 20th, 2021 demanding that California community colleges be made safe and for the reversal of detrimental state policies.
In the first action in the United States, California community college faculty, students, trade unionists and supporters of public education and public health rallied on 9/20/21 in Sacramento at the Community College Board of Governors Sacramento offices and demanded a COVID Zero policy and an end to privatization of public education. The board was meeting on the same day and they demanded that California Community Colleges adopt a COVID Zero policy and an end to the privatization of community colleges by Chancellor Oakley and other administrators.
Speakers talked as well about the lack of PPE even after a year of the pandemic, other health and safety protections, including mass testing as well as the destruction of public education through privatization and union busting. There are also less than 200 Cal-OSHA safety inspectors for the 18 million workers of California and Governor Newsom and former Governor Brown has starved not only Cal-OSHA but public health protection in California.
AFT 2121 and the California Federation of Teachers were invited to participate in the action but declined and they continue to ignored the growing danger of COVID outbreaks in California community colleges and have made no demands for mass protocol for testing, free N-95 masks for all students, faculty and staff and proper ventilation in all buildings before they open.
Supporters of the action who were unable to physically participate also called in under public comment to the state community college Board Of Governor’s meeting. Michael Hull, a teacher from Texas and also founder of “Teachers Against Dying” also participated and sent a statement in solidarity with the rally.