L.A. Teacher Negotiations

Let me explain why I voted to authorize UTLA to strike. When teachers went on strike in 1989, the district offer was a raise of 8%-4%-8% over a three-year period. In addition to eliminating lunchtime yard duty for elementary teachers and establishing shared decision-making at all schools, we won a raise of 8%-8%-8%, a difference of 4% at the cost of 4.5% by being on the picket line for nine days. The district then awarded that same pay raise to all other employees, even though they hadn’t lost any salary fighting for the raise.

The proposed salary cut of 12% will drop us from 9th to 42nd place out of 43 districts in the county. However, high school principals will fall to sixth, still higher than teachers are ranked currently! More importantly, administrators downtown will still be ranked first after the cuts. In addition, the cuts will require teachers to teach a longer day for less money.

Teachers understand that these are lean times. But unless the district demonstrates the courage needed to radically change the way money is allocated, for instance, eliminating extracurricular activities as has been done in San Francisco and Chicago, teachers will not accept a contract.

It is not that teachers want to eliminate extracurricular activities. I advise the school paper myself. However, we’re not willing to sacrifice 5% of our salary ($80 million) to fund these activities. Furthermore, we have no guarantee that the district won’t come back next year and cut us again. This fight is for both personal and professional survival.

MONICA STUDER

Culver City