Teachers on strike at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills want better pay, new contract

LOS ANGELES - Teachers at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills were on the picket lines again Tuesday. The teachers say they are working to negotiate a new union contract with the school, and are seeking better pay.

The backstory:

Teachers at the Woodland Hills school went on strike on Monday, Feb. 10, at 8 a.m. The teachers' contract expired on July 1, 2024, according to the union. United Teachers Los Angeles represents the school's teachers. The union and school administration have been working to negotiate a new contract. They've held two mediation sessions since then, but neither produced a new deal.

Union officials said the teachers are asking for a contract that reflects the rising cost of living, and said that the district is not meeting the terms of a deal that's been in place since 2011, which stipulates that the teachers would disconnect from the Los Angeles Unified School District in exchange for salaries 6% above LAUSD pay.

The teachers will strike each day starting at 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. and return to picket from 1:50 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The other side:

On Monday, the school released a statement announcing a 15% pay increase for the 2024-25 school year. 

"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," the school said in a statement. "…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 and neighboring charter schools."

Big picture view:

At a Board of Directors meeting in December, it was revealed that school administration received a 15% salary bump retroactive to July 1, 2024. The board then voted to cut 44 credentialed positions, including five counselors, five English teachers, one school psychologist and nine Special Education teachers.

With the teachers on strike, some classes weren't held, because they didn't have teachers or substitutes. The students who attended school were marked present for the day and some spent the day in the school's auditorium.