Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Teachers and staff from the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU), an affiliate of AFT, as well as parents and students, gathered Tuesday at a car caravan in Baltimore, outside the city’s school headquarters, in protest against the city’s rushed school reopening plans. The caravan was organized by the union’s COVID-19 task force as a part of a larger national day of action for safe schools.
“The Baltimore Teachers Union believes in-person learning should be expanded only when it’s safe,” the union said in a public statement. “We define safety based on the health metrics put forward by the CDC and City Schools own community indicators. On every major indicator, we remain in the highest risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in the schools category, and far beyond City Schools’ own decision-making tree category of ‘limited or no in-person programs.’ Additionally, the vast majority of facilities have not been adequately equipped with ventilation upgrades needed, and staff have not been vaccinated.”