LA Teachers one day strike

I am a Teachers Assistant at Lexington Primary Center. My union was not on strike but I support the teachers. UTLA (the teachers union) has called off the strike that they initicated. Many teachers were confused and angry for one: the UTLA President signed a temporary contract taht waived their rights to strike for three years. Many people didnt know that because the rank and file was not involved to put pressure on teh UTLA leadership. This is lesson learned from the teachers that in order to get results you have to organize to make decisions from teh bottom to the top.

Last Wednesday, there was a union meeting at the school. Teachers were anxious in doing something and 75% of the teachers who voted voted for a strike. They were ready to walk out. I made a comment about TA's supporting teachers. I said, " As a teachers assistant, wanting to be a teacher i will not get the same pay as a teachers are getting now if there is no resistance. But its not about me being a teacher, its about workers getting their hours and their wages cut. We must stop any attacks and let the district know adn make them more cautious when trying to attack teachers."

Yesterday, the union let all the teachers know that the strike was called off. Days before the union officials went to teh teachers at my school and did their best to scare them into accepting that they could not strike. They told them their creditials could be revoked, that they could be fired and (without saying so) that the union would not back them up if they did go on strike. How undemocratic that such a huge majority of people would vote for a strike and then the union would disrespect that vote by scaring people at the last minute. My union SEIU 99 said we could not strike but to " wear purple" to show solidarity. I wore black with the teachers and stood on the corner.

Intead the union said we could only picket one hour before school starts and after school go to the district headquarters downtown. I went to join the picket. The teachers were timid but were willing to stand on a main street with their signs. Their signs demanded, " Dont cut education". Teh community was very supportive; people honked and cheered as they drove by. As the morning picket ended teachers were happy that somethign was done. The majority of the teachers at my school were outside and their was a feeling of solidarity.

This strike was a missed opportunity. Teachers, students, janitors, TA's all are effected by cuts to education. Even cops honked as they drove by. I wonder what they would have done if the teachers defied the injunction and broke the law, their kids are in school too. It could have electrified the workers struggle against the cuts, and since the overwhelming majority of the union voted for it, it could have actually won. Still as long as militants support workers fights we will be that much closer.