Teachers and staff members at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills announced a strike on Wednesday, Feb. 5, over better pay and after the Board of Directors voted on a resolution to possibly lay off up to 44 educators.
In a letter to the school, educators with the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union set a strike date of Monday, Feb. 10. They’ll have one last meeting with the administration on Friday, Feb. 7, to negotiate a deal before the strike commences.
This strike comes seven months after their contract expired on July 1, 2024, and educators have been attempting to negotiate for better pay. As Daniel Zatarain, science teacher and UTLA chapter co-chair, explained, teachers are both motivated that they can finally take action yet saddened that it had to reach this point.
“Either way people are looking at it, they’re pretty motivated. They’re ready,” said Zatarain. “It’s kind of inspiring for them. A little bit scary at the same time. … It’s a big bag of mixed emotions.
“The general consensus is [the strike will be] as long as it takes to get a deal,” he continued. “We’re willing to negotiate and bargain, but everyone’s in agreement that we’ll go as long as it takes to get a fair contract.”
There has been an agreement between the school and teachers since 2011 – teachers would vote to disconnect from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and El Camino High promised to pay teachers 6% above the district’s median salary.
But educators are saying that the school is not keeping their promise. Carlos Monroy, a special education (SPED) teacher and UTLA chapter co-chair, said they are now making almost 10% less than their LAUSD counterparts. He added that entry-level teachers at El Camino High make $61,000 annually; in comparison, the director of marketing makes $73,000.
Furthermore, in a December Board of Directors meeting, the administration received a 15% salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2024. This was followed up by a January meeting when they voted 5-1 on a resolution to potentially cut 44 credentialed positions, including five counselors, five English teachers, one school psychologist and nine SPED teachers.
I’m amazed by how well you explained everything here.
This used to be a great school. The difference between when my oldest and youngest is unfortunate. The teachers are still great. But, the direction of the school has been horrible.