Based on a recent poll, 76% of American Federation of Teachers members are willing to re-enter schools in the fall, provided that the safeguards the AFT has been advocating for are in place.

To help its members who need reasonable accommodations to return to the workplace, the AFT has a range of online resources, two of which are recent additions related to legal rights.

Those two new resources, which can be found in the General Info on Legal Rights section of the AFT’s COVID-19 Resources webpage, are as follows:

  • “Know Your Rights: Reasonable Accommodations During the COVID-19 Pandemic”: a downloadable PDF prepared by the AFT Legal Department with answers to frequently asked questions.
  • Sample authoritative letter on the ADA: a template that can be used by staff to remind an agency/administration of its responsibility to consider and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, especially as it relates to reopening plans.

This section also has information on workers’ rights, legal guidance for union members during a public health emergency and guidance for AFT members during states of emergency.

“We’ll continue to keep you updated, informed and armed with the best guidance and resources we can provide to help you advocate for the members and students who are counting on you,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said last week.

Click here to view AFT’s COVID-19 Resources page.