DEFEND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
WHEREAS:
The most important gains of the Civil Rights Movement were the end of legal segregation and
the adoption of affirmative action as a means to begin overcoming de facto segregation; and
WHEREAS:
In 1997, the rightwing filed lawsuit against the University of Michigan for using affirmative
action in admissions. A nation-wide mass mobilization of black, Latina/o and white students
was initiated by the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, Immigrant Rights and
Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN). On April 1, 2003, 60,000 affirmative
action supporters marched and demonstrated in Washington, D.C. on the day that the Supreme
Courts heard Grutter v. Bollinger. That mobilization, supported by AFSCME and other unions,
was crucial to our legal victory which maintained affirmative action as a legal remedy to
integrate educational intuitions; and
WHEREAS:
The rightwing continues to use litigation, legislation and ballot initiatives like Proposition 209 in
California and Proposal 2 in Michigan to ban affirmative action. This has drastically reduced
minority student enrollment in the most prestigious public universities in every state where
affirmative action has been banned; and
WHEREAS:
This year the US Supreme Court will hear Fisher v. University of Texas, which challenges UT’s
popular admission policy. Texas allows the top 10% of high school students to enroll in UT. This
plan is used to admit over 75% of UT students. For the remaining slots affirmative action is used
as a factor to mitigate the bias inherent in standardized tests and unequal educational
opportunities. This policy has increased enrollment of Latina/os and black students. It has also
increased the enrollment of poor white students, especially from east Texas. The Obama
administration has thrown its legal support behind UT. The 10% plan coupled with affirmative
action must be defended; and
WHEREAS:
In 2006, a state referendum banned affirmative action in Michigan. BAMN launched a
constitutional challenge called Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Regents of University of
Michigan. BAMN won at the 6th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals panel and a decision from the
entire (en banc) 6th Circuit bench hearing is pending. This case is likely to end up before the US
Supreme Court. BAMN also mounted a legal challenge of California’s Proposition 209 in
Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Brown; and
WHEREAS:
We cannot rely on the increasingly rightwing courts to defend our rights. We must defend them
by the same type of bold grass roots actions by which they were won; and
WHEREAS:
Minority communities are rightly demanding that their best and brightest students represent them
at the nation’s elite public universities where they can take their place as leaders of our nation.
Many well-qualified minority students have been denied admission to the University of
California at Berkeley. In response, BAMN has initiated a campaign of admission office
occupations, demonstrations and press conferences demanding the doubling of enrollment of
Latina/o, black, Native American and other under-represented minority students. Already these
initial actions have compelled UC to admit nine of those students. This campaign is continuing
and has now spread to UCLA in Los Angeles; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME, especially local affiliates representing university workers, have lent important support
to student struggles to defend public education and to extend opportunity to all. In fact, Ann
Arbor, Michigan’s Local 1583’s support for the student strikes at University of Michigan in
1970 helped to win affirmative action and integrate our nation’s universities.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue its support for civil rights – from the 1968 Memphis Strike through
today – by filing amicus briefs in the affirmative action cases out of Texas, Michigan and other
crucial cases; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME donate financial support to the pro bono cases, including Coalition to Defend
Affirmative Action v. Regents of University of Michigan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will offer financial and organizational support for a rally for affirmative action at
the Supreme Court on the day the court hears the Texas and Michigan cases; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME publically urge the Obama administration to back the plaintiffs in the Michigan
case, Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. Regents of University of Michigan; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will give financial and organizational support for actions demanding dramatically
increased enrollment of Latina/o, black, Native American and other under-represented minorities
at our nation’s flag-ship public universities, including urging participation by our local affiliates
in these actions.
SUBMITTED BY:
John Riehl, President and Delegate
Michael Mulholland, Delegate
Susan Ryan, Delegate
Local 207, Council 25
Michigan