Posts tagged education
Teachers earn whopping pay raise as under-fire LAUSD folds to avert strike
April 13, 2026 // The pay hike comes even as the district’s roughly 390,000 students perform below both state and federal literacy averages. The agreement, expected to cost at least $650 million, also includes a plan to hire 450 additional support staff, including counselors, psychologists and social workers. The deal follows months of tense negotiations after the union’s contract expired last June, and is aimed at heading off a strike planned for Tuesday. But the threat of walkouts has not been fully eliminated. Service Employees International Union Local 99, which represents custodians, cafeteria workers and other service staff, has yet to reach a deal with the district.
Commentary: A teacher strike would hurt kids, but LAUSD can’t afford to give in to the union’s demands
April 13, 2026 // The bottom line is that LAUSD can’t afford the union’s demands. A lengthy teachers’ strike would harm students, but giving in to UTLA risks weakening the district’s ability to serve those students for years to come. For their part, teachers and other union employees could come to regret whatever concessions UTLA manages to squeeze out of the district. LAUSD has already approved a plan to lay off 3,200 employees, and they’ll need to cut more if UTLA gets its way.
Maryland lawmakers pass bill granting some college professors union rights
April 12, 2026 // The unions would be under the American Federation of Teachers, which represents K-12 educators, higher education faculty and staff, state employees, nurses and health care professionals. The Maryland chapter represents over 18,000 workers. Kenya Campbell, president of AFT Maryland, said she expects Moore to sign the bill this year but said the work isn’t over. “We’re going to continue to fight until all faculty across the state of Maryland have the right to collectively bargain,” she said. The bill has advanced despite opposition from the University System of Maryland, the parent organization overseeing most of the public universities in the state.
ISU workers go on strike after negotiations hit dead end
April 9, 2026 // Coplan said in addition to dining, they’ve planned for ensuring buildings are clean and grounds remain cared for. They do not anticipate disruption to other areas of operation. Most union contracts on campus have language restricting work stoppages if workers from another union go on strike. “We’re communicating with each of our other bargaining units to make sure that there’s an understanding of what that language actually speaks to,” Coplan said. That includes unionized faculty members, who cannot cancel classes, office hours, meetings or other work requirements in a show of solidarity with another union.
Talks Resume Today Ahead of Potential LAUSD Strike Next Week
April 9, 2026 // Even a partial agreement may not be enough to keep schools open. If one or more unions fail to reach a deal, district officials have indicated that maintaining normal operations would be nearly impossible. Right now, union leaders are projecting unity across roles that don’t always align. In a statement, UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz emphasized that educators and school staff are “ready to act” next Tuesday, if meaningful progress isn’t made.
Commentary: Nilesh Umapathy: SB 1296 is about accountability — not anti-unionism
April 9, 2026 // The PERC ruling shows what happens when someone pushes back — the union is forced to open its books and cover the member’s legal costs after it tried to silence them. Critics of SB 1296 will no doubt raise concerns, but most will miss the point. This is not an anti-union coalition. LaBedz herself is not anti-union. She is a member who was punished for exercising her rights. This is a coalition demanding accountability.
As Michigan’s childcare costs rise, workers debate risks of unionizing
March 31, 2026 // Instead of childcare workers unionizing against owners, the model most commonly seen in childcare unions across the country is owners unionizing against their state, as Henderson is advocating for — specifically, childcare owners who receive state reimbursement payments for care they provide low-income families and therefore can be considered state employees. The purpose is to get more robust and permanent public dollars through contract negotiation to fund things providers say they can’t currently afford because of limits on their revenue, like higher wages, insurance benefits, and overall more stability for the struggling industry. Critics of this model say childcare providers shouldn't be considered public employees just because they receive payments from the state or put in a position where they may feel they have to pay union dues. They also say the fractured layout of the industry doesn't lend itself well to unionization and could create division among already under-resourced owners and staff.
PCC, classified employees union reach tentative deal that could end strike for 700 workers
March 26, 2026 // Portland Community College and its Federation of Classified Employees union have reached a tentative agreement that could end a strike involving about 700 classified employees and move the college closer to resuming normal operations. The tentative agreement, posted at 6:18 p.m. March 25, includes a 0% cost-of-living adjustment for this year and a 5% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026-27. Classified employees also would receive a $1,350 lump-sum payment upon ratification on the next payroll cycle and would be able to cash out up to 40 vacation hours.
United Auto Workers units finalize agreements with UC, avoid strike
March 24, 2026 // The three units – UAW Local 4811’s academic student employees unit, Research and Public Service Professionals-UAW and Student Services and Advising Professionals-UAW – represent more than 40,000 UC academic and research employees, including teaching assistants. The ratification marks SSAP-UAW and RPSP-UAW’s first contracts with the University, while UAW Local 4811’s previous contract expired Feb. 28. About 89% of academic student employees across the UC – and 85% at UCLA – voted to ratify the contract, as well as 98% of RPSPs and 99% of SSAPs, according to an email sent to UAW Local 4811 members.
Opinion: The Morning Routine That Just Vanished: Lunches Unpacked, Coffee Gone Cold and Kids With Nowhere to Go
March 22, 2026 // California teacher unions, with access to significant taxpayer-funded dues, implemented a coordinated strategy to maximize their bargaining power. They instructed teachers across multiple districts to walk out of classrooms simultaneously as part of a deliberate effort known as “We Can’t Wait.” This wasn’t spontaneous; it was the culmination of a strategy to coordinate actions for maximum leverage, leading to synchronized strikes across the state. According to the California Teachers Association, local educator unions intentionally synchronized the expiration dates of contracts in dozens of districts. The aim was to allow multiple districts to negotiate on the same core issues at the same time.