Over seven years, we wrote 100,000+ emails, made hundreds of calls and braved long bus rides to speak directly with our legislators in Sacramento about how dedicated school workers are forced to struggle in the summer. We were united. We were unwavering. And, together, we made the Summer Bridge Fund for school workers a reality. The 2018-19 state budget signed by Governor Brown includes $50 million dollars for a Summer Bridge Fund for Classified Employees.
Dedicated school workers who have had to sacrifice during the summer months when work is not available, will now have a safety net to ensure that they can support their own families. The Summer Bridge Fund will allow classified employees to contribute to the fund during the school year and the state will match their contributions 1:1. School workers will be able to access the funds during the summer.
Though the Summer Bridge fund was approved in the budget, the state still needs to work on the details of implementation. This means we’ll continue to work to hold the California Department of Education and our school districts accountable.
Together, we were able to make politics work for us! We know that as working people face attacks from billionaires and corporate interests, one of the things they’ll say is that “the union” supports political causes you don’t believe in. But we know the truth! The Summer Bridge Fund for Classified Employees was a dream made into reality by our efforts, our blood, our sweat, our tears – and our political participation. This is what political causes look like when working-class peoples’ voices are at the front.
Stay tuned as details about the Summer Fund become available. Together, we win!
Please see our Summer Fund Questions & Answers for more information. More to follow.
