Rank-and-File voice of UTLA

Newsletter of PEAC: Progressive Educators for Action

April 2014
A Second Opinion

What type of union are we trying to build?
We want a union with a proactive leadership that is
willing and able to organize its membership. Our
contract has been expired for over 2 years. We want
a union that can wage a strong campaign around
class size, pay, reconstitutions, co-locations, teacher
evaluations, Breakfast in the Classroom: the pressing
issues that matter to us and our school communities.
One negotiator cannot win a good contract around
these demandsbut an engaged membership
working with organized parents can.

How can we get there?
Right now there is a disconnect between most
members and our union. We need an organizing
strategy that starts with each school site and responds
to membership needs and demands. We need to
develop leadership among ourselvesafter all, we
have over 30,000 members! We also want union
resources dedicated to organizing parents, whose
solidarity will be crucial in order to take the
escalating actions we will need to win. Our
knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy, and our
vision for the schools LA students deserve, need to
ring loud and clear in our communities and to the
public at large through a smart PR campaign. This
type of unionism focused on building social
movements and organizing members, has been won
the greatest successes historically. Its time to elect a
leadership that understands and values the power of
its members. Its not too late to fight for fair teacher
evaluations and against privatization schemes, but
the time to act is now!
- Jess Kochick and Gillian Claycomb

We want a lot from our union. We cant get it with
our current president who is running for reelection.

Warren Fletcher is an obstructionist who insists on
his way, regardless of the will of the membership,
much less their interests. The Schools LA Students
Deserve initiative continues to be functionally
ignored; the Areas mandates are ignored, the Board
of Directors are circumvented, and most members
are left with little information or ways to get
involved.

Fletcher insists on a piecemeal strategy that is losing
across the country and losing right here at home.
Fighting one issue at a time like around
evaluations, school reform and pay, isnt going to
win and we can see that, in fact, it loses. The only
way forward is a comprehensive strategy that builds
with members and parentsthat Fletcher rejects.

Fletcher blocks members initiative and activity.
Only calling one rally a year, ranting when area
leadership takes initiative to do actions or discuss
problems with the district, blocking motions from
being implemented, it is clear Fletcher has no
interest in a democratic unionor a powerful one.

Fletcher is a fan of classic top-down business
unionism, where the smart guys at the top do
everything and the membership is kept passive. It
doesn't work -- the District has no reason to listen if
member power isnt organized behind our demands.


Lets Complete the Mandate!
Vote Union Power and Alex Caputo Pearl for President
What is PEAC?
Progressive Educators for Action (PEAC) is an organization
of UTLA activists. Join us promote activism, organize
around social justice issues together with parents and
others. www.progressiveeducatorsforaction.com.
Friend us on Facebook @ Peac LA