Dear Colleagues:
While the New Year has ushered in breaths of fresh air in many states, as well as in the U.S. House of Representatives, our UTLA union family is in the midst of a serious struggle. A strike is imminent. As members of the United Teachers Los Angeles take a stand to confront austerity and fight for the conditions they and their students need, I ask you to stand with them.
UTLA members will strike on Thursday, Jan. 10, absent a contract. They are making a last-ditch attempt starting Jan. 7 to get district officials to engage in real bargaining. Los Angeles educators are fighting for every child in the city to have a safe and welcoming place for learning, and against the austerity measures for public schools that the district’s superintendent continues to promote despite almost $2 billion in reserves.
Enough is enough. L.A. students and educators deserve better.
That’s why your national union is asking all of our locals and state affiliates to join this fight to fund our future. We must show solidarity with our colleagues in L.A. Indeed, from Jan. 10 onward, we are all L.A.
UTLA members are fighting for things that are sadly familiar: adequate funding for public schools, counselors and nurses, smaller class size, fair compensation, community schools. These are the same issues we face all across the country.
As the strike date approaches, we are asking you to plan for two solidarity actions. Both are important demonstrations that public education in L.A. and in every American town and city has the support of parents, educators, students and community partners. It’s crucial that we show decision-makers in Los Angeles that we stand with UTLA in this fight.
