Teachers union to fight furloughs

The teachers union Thursday vowed to take any necessary steps, including legal action, to reverse the school board’s decision this week to impose four days off without pay on employees as part of budget-cutting measures.

“A furlough day is just a euphemism for pay cut,” said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. “Pay cuts for teachers will not help us attract and keep the best and the brightest to teach Los Angeles students.”

Unlike many other school systems, the Los Angeles Unified School District said it would not lay off teachers to balance a deficit created mostly by state funding reductions, but more than 500 other employees will lose their jobs.

The unpaid days off would save an estimated $54.4 million from a $6-billion budget. The union says any pay cut must be negotiated.

-- Howard Blume