News

Los Angeles teachers end strike after approving contract deal

by Michael Burke - 01/22/19 11:00 PM ET

Los Angeles teachers will return to classrooms Wednesday after approving a contract between their union and the school district, union leaders said Tuesday evening, according to media reports.

Alex Caputo-Pearl, the president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said a “vast supermajority” of union members voted to approve the agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Los Angeles Times reported.

{mosads}“Those are preliminary results but they’re so overwhelming that we know what the results are going to be,” he said during a news conference, according to the Times.

The union reached a tentative deal earlier Tuesday with the district.

The agreement reached between the union and the district increases teacher pay, adds support staff and reduces classroom sizes.

About 30,000 teachers began striking last week as they demanded better pay, better working conditions and more staffing at the schools. It marked the first time teachers in Los Angeles went on strike in 30 years.

Earlier Tuesday, Caputo-Pearl called the agreement a “historic victory,” the Times reported.

“This is a historic victory for … educators, students and parents,” Caputo-Pearl said. “Class-size reduction, limits on testing and access to nurses, counselors and librarians will change our students’ lives forever. We won this victory through our unity, our action and our shared sacrifice.”