WHY ARE WE BOYCOTTING FACULTY MEETINGS? 

LAUSD started the school year with $5.03 billion in reserves but is refusing to bargain in good faith for a salary that attracts and retains educators, more PSAs, PSWs, and school psychologists, more supports for Special Ed, limits on AI and subcontracting, and more to address the urgent issues educators and students are facing. Faculty meeting boycotts show our power to take collective action and put the pressure on LAUSD to settle a fair contract. 

WHEN DOES THE BOYCOTT START? 

UTLA members will boycott all after-school faculty meetings (and similar meetings held after the instructional day) starting the week of March 23. Boycotts will continue until we get a fair contract or the school year ends. 100% participation demonstrates our UTLA unity and commitment to winning a fair contract. 

WHAT TYPE OF MEETINGS ARE WE BOYCOTTING? 

We are boycotting all after-school meetings, including faculty, grade level, and department meetings. At this time, after-school parent conferences and participation by elected UTLA members on site-governing councils (including Local School Leadership Councils) are excluded from the boycott and should be attended. UTLA is NOT calling for boycotts of period-by-period faculty meetings (which occur in secondary schools) or other meetings that occur within the traditional school day. 

WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN PLACE OF THE FACULTY MEETINGS WE ARE BOYCOTTING? 

All school sites should hold brief, ten-minute meetings during the faculty meeting in the school parking lot, on the sidewalk, or another highly visible location where you will be seen by parents and probably administrators. Check in with your chapter chair at that time to be counted as participating in the boycotts. 

I HAVE A PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY ADMINISTRATORS. WILL THESE ACTIONS HARM THAT? 

The boycotts are not actions against any individual principal or administrator; they are a demonstration of our collective power and a clear message to LAUSD that we will not tolerate the district’s actions toward us. 

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF PARTICIPATING IN THE BOYCOTTS? 

As boycott activities intensify, it is possible that you could be subject to discipline, such as a letter of reprimand. Sometimes risks need to be taken for progress to occur and such discipline would be a violation of state law by the district. Our greatest protection comes from every one of us participating in the boycotts. If the district does issue discipline, we need to ensure that they have to do it to 37,000 UTLA members. 

AS AN OUT-OF-CLASSROOM MEMBER, SHOULD I JOIN THE BOYCOTTS? 

Absolutely! You are a member of UTLA and we need every member to join the effort to send a strong message to LAUSD that the district needs to offer us a fair contract. 

I AM A PROBATIONARY TEACHER. CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THE BOYCOTTS? 

Yes. You have the same rights as all other UTLA members in this contract campaign, and you have the same responsibilities to your colleagues in your union to protest the district’s bad faith bargaining. In March 2023, thousands of probationary employees participated in the solidarity strike with SEIU 99 protesting the district’s unlawful actions against them.