Los Angeles Unified School District teachers set to strike Monday

After 21 months of bargaining, United Teachers Los Angeles announced on Sunday evening that teachers with the Los Angeles Unified School District will go on strike Monday.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the United States, serving more than 694,000 students. This is the LAUSD's first strike in 30 years, and more than 25,000 teachers are expected to participate. United Teachers Los Angeles secretary and negotiations team co-chair Ilene Inouye said on Sunday the strike "is a last resort," and LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner has not been "an honest bargaining partner."

Amid last-minute negotiations, the LAUSD made its final offer on Friday, with a contract proposal worth $24 million more than the previous offer. Under the proposal, 1,200 new teachers would be hired for the next school year, and class sizes would be reduced and capped. Inouye said the proposal was "woefully inadequate." UTLA says the district's $1.8 billion District Reserve Fund should be tapped in order to hire new teachers and school staff members, but Beutner said the reserve has been earmarked.

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The teachers will start picketing on Monday morning, and will then march through downtown Los Angeles. The district will keep schools open, and has hired substitutes and reassigned administrators with teaching credentials. About 80 percent of LAUSD's students come from low-income households, and receive free or reduced lunch. Independent charter schools will not be affected by the strike.