Thousands of L.A. teachers march to stop budget cuts

On Jan. 29, Los Angeles teachers took to the streets to protest draconian state budget cuts on education and attacks from the monstrously bureaucratic Los Angeles Unified School District.

In a mass march and rally called by the United Teachers Los Angeles union, thousands of members and allies gathered at L.A.’s Pershing Square to speak out against the district’s raid of teachers’ health and retirement benefits.

LAUSD and state government officials in Sacramento aim to use the current economic situation to justify slashing benefits for teachers and all public employees.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed closing down all public state institutions—including schools—for two days a month as a way of helping California through its current economic crisis. Schwarzenegger has also called for cutting five days off the school year.

LAUSD has already eliminated “buyback days,” in which teachers complete the arduous task of setting up their classrooms at the beginning of the year. This amounts to a significant pay cut for teachers.

California is the eighth largest economy in the world. The problem is not the lack of wealth in California; the problem is who controls and benefits from the wealth.

At the L.A. rally, teachers chanted, “The teachers united will never be divided,” taking a militant, fighting stance against the proposed state and district budget cuts. After a demonstration in front of the LAUSD’s central office near downtown, the union marched to Pershing Square for a rally with speakers, including UTLA President A.J. Duffy.

There was a sea of pro-UTLA red shirts. Another march followed the rally, this time to the state building on nearby Spring Street. The Party for Socialism and Liberation participated in the teachers’ action and led militant chants embraced by the enthusiastic crowd.

PSL members and volunteers also spread the word about the PSL Carlos Alvarez campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, distributing thousands of campaign flyers in support of the teachers’ struggle. In opposition to the anti-worker, pro-corporate agenda of current Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Alvarez’s campaign speaks directly to unions and workers. Alvarez spoke with and marched in solidarity with the teachers.

The continuing state government assault on teachers and other workers guarantees that future actions are on the way. L.A. teachers are currently boycotting unpaid faculty meetings and unnecessary and expensive districtwide tests.

The PSL will continue to stand with teachers, public employees and all workers to oppose budget cuts and reductions of social services to pay for an economic crisis created by the greedy corporate owners.