Many of the city's 600 schools reportedly remained open but with lower attendance. The district reported that 8,642 teachers crossed picket lines, and public rhetoric by both sides was critical and intense. After negotiations, a settlement was reached and a three-year contract produced. Both sides claimed victory. Despite successful teacher pay raises obtained in the settlement, a massive economic recession in 1990 caused negotiations in 1991 to focus on preventing massive layoffs due to hundreds of millions in budget deficits. Salaries were cut to avoid layoffs, ameliorating the positive results of the 1989 strike. In 2009, UTLA members authorized a one-day strike. In September of 2018, 98% of UTLA members authorized a strike over numerous disputes and a failure of months of contract negotiations. These included familiar issues such as salary increases, more librarians and nurses, and classroom size reduction. However, a new issue also predominated the discussions -- i.e., authority and control over the proliferation of charter schools. Fact-finding efforts took several months, but resulted in a ruling stating that the union had not bargained in good faith on several of the non-pay related matters.. The fact-finding report failed to resolve matters and UTLA stated that a strike would proceed on January 10, 2019. On January 14, 2019, 30,000 teachers walked out in what was the first teacher's strike in Los Angeles since 1989. Since 1995, uniforms or standardized dress codes are used in most elementary and middle schools as well as a few high schools. Various attempts at program reform have been attempted. In one reform, individual schools were given more authority over day-to-day decisions and public school choice, authored by school board member Yolie Flores was implemented. In the 1990s, the Los Angeles Education Alliance for Restructuring Now (LEARN) and the Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project (LAAMP) were created, giving principals even more authority to make changes in curriculum hopefully benefiting students. Regardless, student achievement failed to increase. Later attempted reform led to the creation of eleven "minidistricts" with decentralized management and their own individual superintendents. Due to the cost of this additional bureaucracy, then Superintendent Romer called for reversing the measure and re-merging the minidistricts. United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing LAUSD teachers, supported this plan. Eight numbered Local Districts arose from the merger replacing the eleven districts. Although grappling with economic shortfalls, the Los Angeles Unified School District continues to employ consultants.