Our Campaign Stands with LA Educators On Strike
United Teachers of Los Angeles
Our campaign stands with the members of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), SEIU Local 99, and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) who are preparing to strike tomorrow. UTLA reached a tentative agreement with the district Sunday, but SEIU Local 99 has not come to an agreement. If an agreement is not reached, UTLA plans to go on strike in solidarity. It is clear that the unified, organized pressure from UTLA, SEIU, and AALA has forced the district to concede to the educators’ demands.
Educators in Los Angeles are on the frontlines of the affordability crisis. For months they have been bargaining for raises that allow them to live in the city where they teach. The school districts have sat on reserve funds without paying educators a living wage, exacerbating the crises of underfunded public education in California.
The consistent neglect of our public schools is a policy choice by the Democratic Party. With a $4 trillion economy, California can provide every child a world class education while paying educators a living wage. But our public schools are in crisis because the Democratic Party prioritizes the ultra-rich over our public schools. At the same time, billionaires and the politicians they have bought are working together to demonize the educators who are defending student learning conditions.
But Californians know the truth: the unaffordability crisis in Los Angeles has nothing to do with educators. The billionaires have pushed working people to the brink of survival. The educators are the ones fighting for the future of Los Angeles.
These unions are showing us what it means to build a working class movement that meets our needs. By organizing tens of thousands of educators who are ready to go on strike, they showed the district who really wields power in society. They will win because of their collective strength. This is the kind of fightback the Peace and Freedom Party wholeheartedly supports, and seeks to build across all sectors of society.
It’s time that we build a Party that represents the interests of working people. If you are inspired by the striking educators, help us build an independent movement. Nothing happens without workers. In the face of federal cuts to major social programs, and in particular public education, Los Angeles educators show us how we can and should fight back— in Los Angeles, in California, and in the whole country. Register with the Peace and Freedom Party today. Join our candidates on the picket line and join our movement.