On Feb. 14, hundreds of protesters gathered around the Los
Angeles Unified School District headquarters in downtown LA to protest proposed
budgets cuts to schools. On this day the LA School Board was slated to approve
severe cuts to vocational and adult education, early childhood, after school,
and elementary arts programs. The Superintendent of LA schools, John Deasy,
threatened to send out pink slips to 330 cafeteria workers and 5,300 teachers
as well. LA Unified claims to be running a $550 million deficit for next school
year. However, due to pressure and resistance from several unions representing
workers in LA Unified the cuts were averted until at least next month.
LAUSD has sent out over 8,000 layoff notices in the the
past four years, but hired many of those workers back. The pink slips serve as
a scare tactic for the district, in order to force concessions from labor
unions such as furlough days.
The proposed budget would have essentially ended adult
education in LA public schools, which generated strong resistance from many
working class people in Los Angeles. Early in the day hundreds of supporters of
adult education decried the proposed cuts, marching outside the LAUSD
headquarters chanting and holding signs that said, “Save adult ed” and “Si se
puede.” Inside the school board meeting, speaker after speaker spoke in favor
of saving adult education and presented the school board with a petition with
200,000 signatures from supporters. The overriding theme of the crowd and the
numerous speakers on that day was to tell the school board not to balance the
LAUSD budget on the backs of workers.
The cuts to adult education would have been an egregious
attack on the working class. Many undocumented workers would have had no access
to classes where they could become U.S. citizens. Many working class people
would have had no opportunities to earn a high school diploma, GED or learn a
trade. Working class parents would have been hurt at a time when the need for
job training and education is greatest. Many parents in LA would also have no
chance of providing their children with childcare while they work. As the result
of the overwhelming public opposition to the cuts the school board delayed a
vote on the slash and burn budget until next month. In the meantime, unions and
workers must continue to organize against these ongoing attacks on the working
class, otherwise the stayed cuts will prove to be a short term victory.
After school that same day, several hundred members of
United Teachers Los Angeles also held a rally to protest the proposed cuts. In
addition to slashing adult education, the proposed budget would have sent pink
slips to district employed nurses, librarians, school psychologists, counselors
and all LAUSD teachers without tenure protection. Some activist teachers
chanted “Occupy the building” referring to the lavish 29 story building that
serves as LAUSD headquarters and cost the district $154 million to purchase and
renovate in 2001.
UTLA has endorsed a millionaire’s tax, which increases
taxes by 3 percent on individual incomes over $1 million and 5 percent on
incomes above $2 million. This very moderate measure would bring in $350
million annually to LAUSD alone. As with other states in the U.S., California
has extremely regressive taxes in regards to corporate tax rates and despite
being the third biggest oil producer in the country is the only state that does
not tax oil companies in the form of an oil severance tax.
The attacks on unions and working people are not a problem
limited to California. Working people are being attacked through so-called
austerity measures throughout the U.S. and internationally. We must continue to
organize, build solidarity and participate in broad-based social movements such
as the Occupy. Together we will build a movement that will end the rule of the
1 percent.
