About United Action

We are a collection of rank and file members, Chapter Chairs, Board of Directors members, Area Chairs and elected officers running a slate of candidates in the next union election.

Since 2005, under United Action leadership, the union has been moving towards progressive union and educational transformation. Together, we won a substantial pay raise, maintained health benefits, lowered class size, mobilized 10,000 members in demonstrations for a fair contract and assisted in the creation of autonomous pilot schools within LAUSD and under the existing union contract.

This site is an electronic extension of our campaign, our struggle, to build and rebuild a union that

  1. Fights for Teacher and Community Initiated Reform
  2. Continues to Campaign for Social Justice
  3. Focuses on Strategies that Benefit Students and the Classroom
  4. Continues to Build Leadership and Organize the Membership

Dear Colleagues,

Three years ago, a significant majority of UTLA members voted to throw out their incumbent leadership. Many of us voted for United Action, the new union leadership, because we wanted to see a more active, militant and progressive union.

 

 

We wanted our union to fight for pay raises, stronger contracts and better schools; and that’s just what United Action did!

For the first time ever our new United Action officers got members involved in the fight for class size reduction, increased school site autonomy and stronger relationships with parents; along with a stronger campaign than ever to protect our benefits and increase our pay.

The United Action leadership has been clear: the way to win our demands is to strengthen each school’s UTLA chapter through organizing and to build bigger actions than have happened in a decade. The United Action Team is distinct from past UTLA administrations because it listens to members (remember when we asked YOU, a UTLA member, to determine contract priorities before negotiations).

In just three years, under United Action’s strong leadership, our union has:

  • Won 8.5% pay raise
  • Maintained our health benefits
  • Won a first-ever class size reduction and cap
  • Held the largest demonstration in years, with 10,000 people attending
  • Co-founded MORE-LA, to build stronger relationships with parents
    and community groups
  • Strengthened contract language to protect UTLA activists from reprisals
  • Reduced mandatory periodic assessments in elementary grades
  • Defeated Superintendent Brewer’s High Priority Punishment District
  • Fought for more local control through use of waivers, Belmont Zone of Choice and Expanded SBM Schools

While John Perez, Linda Guthrie, and Alberto Valdivia, leaders of the last UTLA leadership, allowed BTS to takeover the payroll, the United Action leadership attacked the problem head on: sued LAUSD, hammered them in the media, held multiple demos to demand correct paychecks, and initiated no-interest loans with the Credit Union.

The Old Guard, including Linda Guthrie and Alberto Valdivia, is trying to sneak back into office and go back to running a demobilized union that goes years without a contract, offers concessions to LAUSD, won’t fight for classroom issues like class size and autonomy, and treats parents disrespectfully.

By reelecting not only the current United Action officers but also a strong majority of United Action Board of Directors, we can ensure our union continues to be a Fighting Union!  

Sincerely,

Wayne Johnson

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