For Immediate Release
Contact: Matthew Hardy – 510-703-5291

On Saturday, April 25, the CFT Executive Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the President to fully utilize the Defense Production Act (“DPA”) to obtain the PPE, medical supplies, and diagnostic testing supplies needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic

According to CFT President Jeff Freitas, it is past time for the President to fully invoke and utilize the DPA.

“We urge the President and federal officials to fully utilize the DPA in order to obtain the PPE needed from private industry to keep our healthcare and other frontline essential workers safe, to care for our communities, and to produce necessary testing supplies,” says Jeff Freitas. “The delay in using the DPA has cost countless lives and will continue to do so unless it is utilized immediately.”

In calling for the president to use the DPA to accelerate COVID-19 testing, the CFT Executive Council also cautioned that reopening the economy without first ramping up testing capability is both dangerous and irresponsible, putting communities, workers, and children at greater risk.

The California Federation of Teachers represents 120,000 teachers, faculty, and school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education. It is the statewide affiliate of the AFT. More information at www.cft.org.

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