Links to today’s show transcripts:
“This Was About the Survival of Public Education”: LA Teachers Claim Victory After Week-Long Strike
Public school teachers in Los Angeles are returning to classrooms today after approving an agreement to end a historic 6-day strike. The strike was the first in Los Angeles in three decades. It came after more than 20 months of strained negotiations between the union—United Teachers Los Angeles—and the school district. The strike effectively shut down Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second largest school district. On Tuesday morning, union leaders and Los Angeles city officials announced that they had reached a deal on a new contract. After a vote, the union announced Tuesday night that the contract had been approved by a supermajority of UTLA members. Included in the agreement are pay increases for teachers, additional support staff in schools, smaller class sizes and the regulation of charter schools.
A Blue State Teacher Rebellion: Denver Teachers Vote to Strike as L.A. Educators Win Big Victory
As Los Angeles teachers agreed to end their strike on Tuesday, Denver teachers voted to strike for the first time in 25 years. The strike could begin as soon as Monday. Meanwhile, teachers in Oakland are planning to vote on a strike next week. Arlene Inouye is chair of the bargaining team for United Teachers Los Angeles, and Sarah Jaffe is the reporting fellow at the Type Media Center.
As we go deeper into this most unusual and challenging phase of history, intelligence is the thing we need the most. That is the theme of the 2019-2020 annual edition of Planet Waves — audio now available for instant access. See more information here. If you’re looking for individual signs, order here.