EPCC NEWS AND COMMENTARIES

May 13, 2009

Contact: Jerry Esguerra

(818) 749-0272

EPCC CONDEMNS LA COURT /LAUSD SCHOOL BOARD FOR INTIMIDATION AND UNION-BUSTING 


Los Angeles- The Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC) condemns the recent Los Angeles Court order against the teachers strike today, May 13.

The LA School Board and Superintendent Ramon Cortines succeeded to impose an injunction if the teachers continue with their planned strike. The UTLA has ordered the strike to be set aside.

On April 30th, over 73% of the 
United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union members voted for a one-day strike on May 15th to protest the budget cuts that would lay-off over 5,000 teachers and leave students in overcrowded classrooms. 



LA Superior Court Judge James Chalfant ordered the court injunction that favored the School Board that has been preparing to stop the teacher strike and any simultaneous student protest on May 15th.

Judge Chalfant of Superior Court 85 is the same judge that made several controversial decisions. This includes the case of the SAG negotiator and the new costly election of the FACLA board on April 9, 2009 . The judge did not considered disenfranchising more than 1,000 FACLA voters who voted last November 2009 and that FACLA board has spent $ 13,000 expenditures of the board for a minor technicality for a new election on May 31.

The attempt to silence the teachers and students has mobilized the larger community. Last week, Gabnet co-sponsored a forum held by Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB) and the AJLPP to bring the education cuts to the 
attention of the Echo Park and Downtown residents. The well attended forum was held in Search to Involve the Pilipino Americans (SIPA) last May 7, 2009.

The EPCC supports the teachers strike and the community movement to stop budges cuts and teachers lay-offs. The EPCC said the LAUSD are using the teachers as scapegoats for its ineptitude and rampant corruption.

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Fuck the judge. They should still strike.