Local News in Brief : New Strategy by Teachers Union

As part of a work slowdown to demonstrate union strength in contract talks with the Los Angeles Unified School District, officials of United Teachers-Los Angeles have asked its teachers to stop completely filling in the class attendance cards they are required to submit daily.

Beginning next week, teachers will be asked to stop totaling the number of absences and making other computations related to daily attendance, UTLA spokeswoman Catherine Carey said.

“We’re not telling them to hold back anything, but it’s all these extra things that administrators have teachers do,” she said. “It’s our way of pressuring the school board” during contract talks.

The district and the union are negotiating a new contract to replace one that expired last June. The district has offered teachers a 4.1% raise, while the union has asked for 12%. Other issues include bonuses for bilingual teachers and broader authority for teachers.

Associate Supt. Gabriel Cortina said school operations have not been impaired since teachers began a boycott three weeks ago of unpaid, after-school duties, such as attending faculty meetings, parent conferences and supervising playgrounds. “We hope teachers will remember what their primary responsibility is,” he said.