LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A strike by Los Angeles teachers became more likely Oct. 12, when a third
mediation session between United Teachers Los Angeles and the L.A. Unified School District failed to produce progress toward a contract. UTLA charged that the district was “failing to offer any substantial proposals to reinvest in our schools.” District officials filed a complaint with the state Public Employment Relations Board accusing the union of negotiating in bad faith, which if upheld would make any strike illegal. The teachers have asked for a 6.5% raise retroactive to July 1, 2016. The district is offering 3% retroactive to July 1, 2017, plus another 3% retroactive to last July if Los Angeles County certifies its financial health. “The district thinks they can buy us off with a modest pay raise, but our fight has never been just about salary,” UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl said in a statement. “What’s driving educators is the absolute need to fix what we see every day: too many overcrowded classrooms where kids have to share desks, schools with a nurse only one day a week, and overloaded psychologists and counselors doing their best to triage the socio-emotional needs of our students.” Read more
