Stand With Educators of Los Angeles Unified School District

This Saturday, December 15th at 10:00 a.m. the members of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) will hold a rally at Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles. After years of unchecked growth of charter schools, and the hiring of an investment banker with a radical plan to reorganize schools as superintendent of LAUSD, UTLA is taking a strong stand to protect the future of public education in Los Angeles.

UTLA is currently locked in negotiations with the LAUSD that have lasted for nearly 18 months. They have just finished fact-finding in their negotiations and are awaiting the report from the fact-finding panel. In August, 98% of union members voted to authorize a strike, should the district fail to address austerity conditions in their public schools. Without significant movement by the LAUSD, it is very likely that UTLA members will be forced to walk the picket line later this winter.

With so much on the line,  UTLA educators need our support. Here are three things that you can do right now to stand with UTLA members as they take a courageous stand for their public schools:

1.Sign this petition in support of UTLA. The petition urges Superintendent Beutner and the LAUSD Board of Education to immediately settle a contract with UTLA educators that invests in students and fully supports educators.

2. Take a photo with the We Stand with LA Teachers sign and post on Twitter,Facebook, and Instagram. Use the hashtags #WeAreLA and #UTLAStrong, and makesure to tag @UTLANow and @CFTunion. If you aren’t on social media, but wouldlike to participate, please email photos to CFT Communications Director MatthewHardy at mhardy@cft.org. For suggestions, please review UTLA’s social media guide.

3. Attend the rally! Thousands of CFT members live and work near downtown Los Angeles. Put your union shirt on and stand side-by-side with the UTLA folks on the front line.

Thanks for stepping up for our brothers and sisters in UTLA!

In Unity