Whereas, educator pay has not kept up with inflation. Educators make, on average, 5% less than 10 years ago and 9% less than the peak in 2009-10, adjusted for inflation, according to a recent NEA study.

Whereas, educators are paid far less than professionals with similar educational backgrounds. The pay penalty for educators—the gap between educators’ weekly wages and other college graduates—grew to a record 26.4% in 2022, according to the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Whereas, most educators in California cannot afford housing close to where they work. Federal standards say affordable housing should cost 30 percent or less of a household’s income. However, In Los Angeles, the annual cost of owning a home is around 52% of an experienced educator’s salary; in San Francisco, it is 51%, and in San Diego 48%. Meanwhile, the rates are 30% in Boston, 24.5% in Orlando, and 23% in Chicago.

Whereas, the public supports educators striking for more pay. Seventy-eight percent of public-school parents (and 73 percent of the public) say they would support educators in their communities if they went on strike for higher pay (as of 2022).

Therefore, be it resolved, that the CFT vigorously advocate for legislation that increases school funding so that we can advocate for educator raises that enable educators to spend no more than 30% of their gross salary on housing within ten miles of where they work in each district’s contract negotiations.

Be it finally resolved, that the CFT gives its full support to those locals that are forced to strike to obtain such raises, including, but not limited to, data and legal support to locals.

Submitted by United Teachers Los Angeles, AFT Local 1021