UTLA's Failure and Why (Video #4)
(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)
While no union wants to go on strike, it must be the real threat of a strike that causes management- in this case LAUSD- to bargain in good faith. The fact that UTLA has never organized its rank and file and sees itself as an adjunct of LAUSD makes it a de facto non-union that adds insult to injury by collecting monthly dues for services as a union it never has fulfilled. With no positive adversarial relationship between LAUSD and UTLA, LAUSD has been and continues to savage teachers without an concern of consequences from demoralized teachers who have the misfortune of being "represented" by this non-union UTLA.
Several years ago, then UTLA President A.J. Duffy placed empty chairs in front of LAUSD headquarters on Beaudry to illustrate how many jobs were in jeopardy. What he illustrated to then LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines was that he could not get his rank and file in the streets and out of the classroom. The last 5 presidents of UTLA saying, "Let's see what the District has to say," illustrates the