Around 34,000 Los Angeles Unified School District educators went on strike for six days last January as the the United Teacher Los Angeles union went toe to toe with the district to negotiate a new contract.
Negotiations had been going on for a couple years before teachers walked out in what was the first strike in the district in 30 years.
UTLA called on the district to use $2 billion in reserves for its demands, but LAUSD said that money wasn’t available and couldn’t meet all of the union’s demands. UTLA and LAUSD finally reached a tentative agreement after a more than 20-hour negotiation. The three-year contract included gradually decreased class sizes, more nurses and librarians and a raise. According to the Los Angeles Times, the union has said the long term goal is to encourage lawmakers and voters to provide improved funding for schools.
Today on AirTalk, education reporter and guest host Kyle Stokes speaks with two major players in the strike. They look back on the strike a year ago, discuss where the district stands now and look ahead at what’s to come. We want to hear from listeners too. Are you an educator? Do you think improvements have been made in the district since the January 2019 deal was met. Do you have existing concerns as the district heads into 2020? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With guest host Kyle Stokes
Guests:
Austin Beutner, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District
Alex Caputo-Pearl, president of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the union which represented LAUSD teachers and support staff during the strike