WHEREAS:

At the last minute, a provision was added to the 1983 Social Security reform legislation, strongly opposed by AFSCME, which requires the states to deny unemployment insurance benefits between academic years or terms to classified public school employees; and

WHEREAS:

Classified public school employees are among the lowest paid workers in the nation with many working at or near the minimum wage level. Such employees are frequently unable to find other work during the period between school terms, and they thus are in every sense of the word "unemployed;" and

WHEREAS:

It is unconscionable to deny unemployment benefits between terms to one of the lowest paid group of workers when other employees performing work which is also characterized by regularly recurring breaks in service are not denied unemployment benefits under federal law; and

WHEREAS:

Thousands of classified school employees and their families will again be facing a major financial hardship this summer as a result of this discriminatory federal mandate.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this 27th International Convention strongly oppose the federal mandate requiring the states to deny unemployment benefits between academic years or terms to classified public school employees; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue its efforts to persuade the Congress to eliminate this discriminatory federal mandate.

SUBMITTED BY:

Bonnie Bell Clark, State Secretary and Delegate
OAPSE Local 4
Columbus, Ohio