Thousands of Los Angeles-area educators and their supporters rallied in a massive downtown protest Thursday, demanding smaller classroom sizes and higher wages as part of contract negotiations with the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Clad in red T-shirts and waving signs that read "Join the Movement" and "Fair Pay for the Future of Los Angeles," the teachers were joined by education leaders in a rally intended to draw national attention.
Among those in the crowd was Watts teacher Loman Hamraj, who said he teaches 40 kids at a time at Thomas Riley High School but lacks basic classroom equipment.
For United Teachers Los Angeles, Thursday's downtown demonstration was the 35,000-member union's greatest test of organizing strength yet in a campaign of "escalating actions" that could lead to a strike should the sides fail to reach a contract agreement.
UTLA estimated that the rally in Grand Park outside City Hall drew at least 15,000 people.
Teachers also gathered at regional rallies last year and picket lines were formed at campuses across the district earlier this month.
But UTLA made its first formal move toward striking by declaring an impasse seven months and 18 rounds into negotiations that started under former Superintendent John Deasy.
District officials estimate the sides are more than $800 million apart per year. In recent weeks, LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines raised the district's offer to a 5 percent immediate salary hike, but the union wants 8.5 percent.
LAUSD estimates those demands make up more than $500 million of the $800 million divide. Cortines said last week the district faces a $160 million deficit and reserve funds have run dry. In order to close the budget shortfall before the fiscal year starts July 1, Cortines said teachers and other staff will be laid off. An initial round of pink slips is set to go out March 15, notifying employees they have 60 days.
Speaking at the rally, UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl called on teachers to "jam" the phone lines of Cortines and school board members to demand a better contract.
He also urged voters to re-elect school board member Bennett Kayser and back opponents of Tamar Galatzan in Tuesday's election. He also urged teachers to check off a card signalling their willingness to strike.
Caputo-Pearl won the union's top spot in April, promising double-digit pay raises for the union's members.
Also appearing at Thursday's rally was National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia, the head of nation's largest teachers union with 3.2 million members. "You are gorgeous," Eskelsen told the crowd.
The heads of LAUSD's affiliate organizations, California Teachers Association President Dean Vogel and California Federation of Teachers President Joshua Pechthalt, also addressed the crowd.
Cortines reiterated that the district's "responsible offer" of a 5 percent pay raise, as well as other proposals such as increased salaries for beginning teachers, are still on the table.
Also on Thursday, Cortines sent a letter to Caputo-Pearl warning of the potential loss of $171 million in federal funds and resources because of disagreement with the union over teacher performance evaluations. Cortines also proposed making teacher evaluations separate from contract negotiations.
At the downtown rally, Philomena Okpala, a special education teacher at Hollenbeck Middle School, complained about a lack of nurses and libraries at LAUSD schools. Nodding toward the sea of supporters, she said the strong turnout was positive for teachers' demands.
"It shows we are united," Okpala said.