United Teachers Los Angeles

Recent History of Anti-Israel Resolutions

The UTLA has introduced 3 anti-Israel resolutions in the last 5 years. In 2021, a pro BDS resolution was put forward but was ultimately tabled in favor of educational programs on the conflict.

In November 2024, UTLA passed a resolution in late October calling for the United States to stop providing weapons to Israel, raising tensions between the union and Jewish organizations and teachers who don’t back its anti-Israel advocacy efforts. This resolution drew sharp criticism from School Board Member from District 3, Scott Schmerelson who stated that the union resolution aims to put the entire blame for the current conflict in the Middle East on Israel, the only democracy in the region and referred to the resolution as clearly biased.

On December 17, 2025, the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) House of Representatives adopted a resolution stating that the union should refrain from endorsing candidates for public office who, as members of Congress, voted to provide military assistance to Israel.

Strikes

1989 strike

On May 30, 1989, approximately 20,000 UTLA members went out on strike for higher pay and more administrative control. The strike lasted nine days starting on May 30, 1989. The months preceding the strike were highly contentious. Numerous negotiation tactics were deployed by both sides including teacher demonstrations, threats to withhold grades, threats to dock teacher pay and many hard fought court battles. Union demands included pay increases and better school conditions. Thousands of substitute teachers were mobilized in preparation for the strike, and teachers prepared by saving money to endure a long walk-out. Many of the city's 600 schools reportedly remained open but with lower attendance. The district reported that 8,642 teachers crossed picket lines, and public rhetoric by both sides was critical and intense. After negotiations, a settlement was reached and a three-year contract produced. Both sides claimed victory. Despite successful teacher pay raises obtained in the settlement, a massive economic recession in 1990 caused negotiations in 1991 to focus on preventing massive layoffs due to hundreds of millions in budget deficits.

2019 strike

Main article: 2019 Los Angeles Unified School District teachers' strike

In August 2018, under the leadership of progressive UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl, 98% of UTLA members authorized a strike following months of contract negotiation disputes. Though teachers were also striking to highlight issues like demands for pay raises, public discussion became predominantly focused on the union's opposition to charter schools. Though one in five LAUSD students attended a charter school at the time of the strike, UTLA argued that independent charter schools were siphoning money from traditional public schools.

A fact-finding report failed to resolve matters and UTLA stated that a strike would proceed on January 10, 2019. The school district attempted to stop the strike on legal grounds, but a judge allowed it to proceed. 30,000 teachers walked out of class and onto the picket line in what became the first such strike in Los Angeles in thirty years, which would last six days. Following the six days of crowded rallies, UTLA and the school district reached a deal on a new contract on January 22, 2019, which included teacher pay raises, full-time librarians for middle and high schools, a commitment to provide full-time nurses for every school, and the establishment of thirty "community schools" in the model of Austin, Texas and Cincinnati, though UTLA failed to impose a binding cap on charter schools.

References

References

1. "About Us - UTLA".
2. "Affiliated Teacher Organizations of Los Angeles".
3. @thislouis. (2021-09-23). "L.A. teachers sidestep BDS resolution in decisive union vote".
4. Clarey, Brendan Clarey {{!}} Chalkboard News Brendan. (2024-11-05). "Behind the antisemitism allegations against the LA teachers union".
5. claudia.vizcarra. (2024-11-12). "Statement about UTLA's Resolution regarding the Middle East Conflict".
6. Winograd, Marcy. "LA Teachers Union: No Endorsements for Genocide Enablers {{!}} Marcy Winograd".
7. (16 May 1989). "Teacher Strike Spreads Chaos In Los Angeles".
8. "History of UTLA - UTLA".
9. "Analysis of The 1989 Teacher Strike, Stephanie Clayton, Learning in L.A. Project, 2008".
10. "Antonucci: With a Los Angeles teacher strike approaching, some echoes resonate from 1989 - LA School Report".
11. "Starved of resources and respect {{!}} UTLA".
12. "UTLA members vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike {{!}} UTLA".
13. "Possible LAUSD Strike Would Be First Since 1989 – Los Feliz Ledger".
14. (2018-12-22). "L.A. teachers union rallies supporters with call for cap on charter schools".
15. (2019-01-06). "Op-Ed: Alex Caputo-Pearl: Why Los Angeles teachers may have to strike".
16. Blume, Howard. "L.A. teachers strike appears more likely as a key report fails to bring the union and district together".
17. (2019-01-05). "Judge denies L.A. school district's bid to block teachers strike".
18. (January 14, 2019). "LA Teachers Go On Strike For First Time In 30 Years".
19. (22 January 2019). "LAUSD teachers' strike ends. Teachers to return to classrooms Wednesday". [[Los Angeles Times]].
20. (14 January 2019). "'Escalate, escalate, escalate': L.A. teachers' strike to head into its second day Tuesday".
21. (22 January 2019). "Los Angeles Teachers' Strike to End as Deal Is Reached". [[The New York Times]].