CommentsLABOR WAR-United Teachers Los Angeles Members (UTLA)—including Adult Education, K-12, Teachers on Reduced Workload Status, Health and Human Services Professionals, and Substitute Teachers—went on strike from Monday, January 14, 2019 through Tuesday, January 22, 2019—when a deal was announced and overwhelmingly approved by members.
The deal included a section titled, “No Retaliation/Discipline/ Discharge,” stating:
“The parties agree that there will be no retaliation, reprisals, discharge, harassment of any kind, or discipline issued or pursued against certificated bargaining unit members as a result of participating in or supporting the parties' collective bargaining, impasse procedures, the strike, and/or other concerted activities such as meeting boycotts leading up to and during the strike.”
Yet, after the strike, LAUSD:
- Told the Teachers on Reduced Workload Status that their RWL status was rescinded because and only because they went on strike—reducing their retirement benefits by roughly $3,000 per year for the rest of their lives.
- Cut the pay of Substitute Teachers in long-term teaching assignments because and only because they went on strike—reducing their pay by roughly up to $2,000 each.
- Decreed that Health and Human Services professionals (HHS) must do “make-up” work without additional compensation. (As reported in UTLA’s newspaper, United Teacher, after the strike, HHS members, including Psychologists, Occupational and Physical Therapists, Adaptive PE Teachers, Speech and Language Pathologists, Psychiatric Social Workers and Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors with IEPs, and others, were informed they must make up “missed” student service time without additional compensation.)
UTLA has responded:
- Issuing a Demand to Bargain letter on behalf of HHS professionals—to date, LAUSD has not reversed this retaliation.
- Filing an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) on behalf of Bargaining Unit Substitute Teachers — to date, LAUSD has not reversed this retaliation.
On May 22, 2019, UTLA held regional Area Meetings where members passed proposals calling for fair treatment of UTLA’s Retaliated Strikers. To date, the district has not reversed this retaliation.
LA’s educators are simply asking the district to honor its agreements so we can focus on what we love doing most—teaching, learning, and serving our students.
There is something you can do to help.
Please Like and Share facebook.com/RetaliatedStrikers and sign a letter to school board members at thepetitionsite.com/542/661/874/stoplausd-retaliation-against-striking-utla-members.
Thank you for joining the struggle. We must force the district to respect and honor the efforts of the teachers and the Health & Human Services Professionals of UTLA. We serve students, parents, and community members every day.
(David Lyell lives in Los Angeles and is a graduate of AFI’s Screenwriting program and has filmed over 35 movies, tv shows, and commercials. He has studied acting and improv with The Groundlings, Debra Magit, Guy Camilleri, and Richard Henry. He served as the elected Secretary for United Teachers Los Angeles from 2011-14.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
