L.A. City Council members rally with teachers on first day of LAUSD strike

As striking Los Angeles Unified teachers and their supporters marched under gray skies Monday, some L.A. City Council members joined the rallies and called for smaller class sizes and more nurses and librarians.

“We’re with you today and we’re with you for the long run,” said Councilman Mike Bonin, using a microphone to talk to strikers outside Venice High School. “Stay strong, let’s get this over with.”

The councilman, who represents Venice and other Westside neighborhoods, was joined by supporters who waved signs that read “Keep us public, keep us free” and “Our students deserve fully funded schools.”

Members of United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing 31,000 teachers, counselors, librarians and nurses, are striking in the first walkout in three decades.

Councilman Joe Buscaino, who represents the neighborhoods of Wilmington, San Pedro and Watts, posted a photo of himself on Facebook standing with his family outside Dana Middle School, his alma mater.

“This strike is about changing the culture of a school district that needs to offer more attention and support for the kids that need it so desperately,” Buscaino said.

Several other L.A. council members, including downtown and Eastside Councilman Jose Huizar, used social media to direct students to a city website that lists resources for students and families.

“Teachers deserve better wages and we need improved classroom conditions for our kids. Hoping both sides come to solution soon,” Huizar wrote on Twitter.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @dakotacdsmith