Don't Erase Labor History
Virginia Board of Education
The history of workers in Virginia is under attack. The Virginia Board of Education is currently considering new learning standards that will erase the labor movement from lesson plans almost entirely.
They want to:
- Remove teachings of impact of the Industrial Revolution on working families, including women and children.
- Remove the rise of organized labor entirely from Virginia lesson plans.
- Undermine how the New Deal -- which included important labor wins like the 40-hour work week -- is being taught.
- Continue to ignore the close link between the Labor Movement and the Civil Rights Movement, which is currently missing from learning standards.
We need to stop the whitewashing of our history!
The proposed standards will be up for a vote soon. Please sign the petition now to tell the Board of Education to do their job — Vote to protect labor history!
Co-Sponsored By: Virginia AFL-CIO, AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, SEIU, and the Virginia Education Association
Sponsored by
To:
Virginia Board of Education
From:
[Your Name]
The labor movement has helped ensure safe working conditions, fair hours and fair wages for workers. The history of labor unions is critical to American history, and I am concerned about what appears to erase much of labor history from our learning standards.
As a proud Virginian, I ask that you do not erase workers from our classrooms. Please oppose the changes that would delete labor history from our schools.