Teachers Remain Out Amid Negotiations

With education grinding to a standstill, the Los Angeles Unified School District entered its second day of a teachers’ strike as district and union officials continued intense negotiations focusing on possible new salary offers.

A district source said the Los Angeles Board of Education was considering a package of proposals from United Teachers-Los Angeles that were presented late Monday. No specifics were offered.

But UTLA President Wayne Johnson denied reports that the union had proposed a new salary package for a 22.5% raise over three years. The district has offered 21.5% over three years.

Johnson said he had not been in communication with any district official as of late this morning. “I am much less hopeful today than yesterday,” he said.

Although some schools reported higher attendance among students today, high school students in particular continued to leave campus in large numbers.

At Franklin High School in Highland Park, about 500 students walked out at 10 a.m. to stage a protest outside the school. Police were called in when students began blocking traffic, but no injuries were reported and no arrests were made.

Students said school administrators attempted to lock gates to prevent students from leaving.

Said Angelina Barriga, an 11th-grader: “As soon as we started walking out, they closed the gates and shut the doors and barricaded students.” She said students got out by jumping fences, breaking through gates and rushing past school police officers.

Meanwhile, the two sides issued conflicting reports on how many teachers remained on strike today. Union officials said at least 25,000 of the district’s 32,000 teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians stayed out on the picket lines on the second day of the strike.

“We’re hanging strong,” union spokeswoman Catherine Carey said.

The district, however, said early indications today showed that teachers were “trickling back” into schools in three regions--the south San Fernando Valley, the Eastside and Central Los Angeles.

District spokeswoman Diana Munatones said between one and seven teachers per school who had not been in class Monday reported to work this morning.