LA schools union ready to strike

(The Center Square) – Members of United Teachers Los Angeles say they're prepared to strike if the Los Angeles Unified School District does not agree to the union's demand for a 17% pay increase over two years. A union rally is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. local time Wednesday afternoon at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. Gina Gray, a high school English teacher and UTLA member, will be in attendance. “Basically, we are showing our solidarity with other unions, SEIU Local 99 and AALA, and really just demanding that the district invest in our schools and our salaries and our students and our communities,” Gray told The Center Square Wednesday. “This district has the money, and our schools have been suffering due to underinvestment.” To date, there have been approximately 20 bargaining sessions for the union and the nation's second-largest school district. According to Gray, district officials “ha