New York City’s teachers union is asking its members to wear red Thursday to show support for colleagues in Los Angeles who are preparing to strike.
A California judge on Wednesday delayed the first possible day of the strike until next week, but the United Federation of Teachers is going forward with its call for members to show solidarity on what had been the likely start date.
The Los Angeles union, UTLA, is seeking higher pay, improvements in school conditions, and protections against the “portfolio model” of school management. (Here’s what five L.A. teachers told Chalkbeat they were most worried about.)
The UFT called Los Angeles teachers’ demands “simple, but necessary” in a post asking teachers to wear red and send photos to the union.
This isn’t the first time that UFT members have been asked to show solidarity for teachers on strike elsewhere, even as relations between the union and New York City have been comparatively strong. In 2012, the union demonstrated in solidarity with teachers in Chicago; the seven-day strike there resulted in raises and changes to teacher evaluations.