Through their labor unions, teachers in the U.S. are sometimes recruited as political candidates, especially in state and local elections. However, their numbers are few.
UTLA’s transformation story surfaces critical lessons that respond to the most important question facing the labor movement today: How do we ensure that the recent years of labor upsurge across economic sectors becomes durable, transformative power?
The food issue and the world struggle
Home health aides, retail salespersons, fast-food workers, and public school teachers are essential to the economy and society, yet their wages fall far short of the cost of living.
The seeds of our strike were sown 10 years ago. In the 2013–2014 school year, school district leaders demanded more than 75 concessions, including bigger class sizes, fewer workload protections, and cuts to healthcare benefits.
Labor and community organizations who have been aligning for years are escalating their fights at the same time.
Over the past two years, Texas teachers have lost jobs or been pressured to resign after making challenged books available to students. The teacher who created this bookshelf could become a target for far right-wing groups.
From Florida to Alaska, workers are facing legal efforts to weaken their power by targeting union certification and dues.
Moment of truth in Myanmar
Recent union contract gains against a backdrop of decades of union decline, worsening wealth inequality and broken labor laws.
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