El Camino Real HS teachers go on strike

LOS ANGELES - Educators at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills are on strike Monday after months of negotiations between the United Teachers Los Angeles and management have yet to produce a contract.

According to a UTLA representative, teachers have been working without a contract since July and two mediation sessions have failed to produce a new deal.

The last meeting with the administration and UTLA was on Friday. The last teachers contract expired on July 1, 2024, and the teachers are negotiating for better pay.

An agreement between the school and the teachers in place since 2011 that the teachers disconnect from Los Angeles Unified School District in exchange for salaries 6% above the district pay is not being met, the union says.

The school released the following statement:

"El Camino Real Charter Alliance is proud to announce an unprecedented 15% salary increase for the 2024-2025 academic year, reaffirming our commitment to recognizing and rewarding the dedication of our exceptional educators. This salary adjustment, among the highest in California and potentially the nation, reflects our unwavering support for our teachers and their invaluable contributions to student success."

"With this substantial 15% salary increase, credentialed teachers at El Camino Real Charter High School will now earn between $73,067 and $126,965 annually. These figures surpass the salaries offered by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and neighboring charter schools, including Birmingham Community Charter High School, Palisades Charter High School, and Ivy Academia. In addition to competitive salaries, El Camino Real continues to offer comprehensive health benefits covering 
employees and their entire families at no cost, along with full benefits for retirees and their spouses/domestic partners— "Lifetime Benefits" a benefit many other institutions have scaled back or eliminated."