Tonight, the United Teachers of Los Angeles endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination for president.
LOS ANGELES — United Teachers Los Angeles, the second-largest teachers’ local in the country, is proud to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders for US President in the 2020 Primary Election, making UTLA the first teachers’ union in the country to endorse a presidential candidate.
Tonight, the UTLA House of Representatives – the elected leadership body of the 34,000-member union — voted 80% in favor of endorsing Sen. Sanders, capping the most comprehensive member engagement process that UTLA has ever conducted for a political candidate.
Thursday’s House vote followed a six-week discussion at school sites. Following that member engagement, on Wednesday at nine regional meetings, more than 500 elected site representatives voted 72.5% yes to the presidential endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Wednesday’s vote was opened up to allow any member who attended to vote alongside elected chapter leaders.
UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl said: “Why now, and why Bernie? Because we want him to win in the primary election and because we need an unapologetic, longstanding ally of progressive policies to make public education a priority in the White House. Sanders is the first viable major candidate in 25 years in the Democratic Party to stand up against privatization, the charter billionaires, and high-stakes testing and to stand up for a massive redistribution of wealth to schools and social services. Critically, like UTLA, Sen. Sanders believes in building a national movement for real, lasting change.”
Teachers are the number one profession among his donors for a reason: Sanders has the most comprehensive, progressive plan for public education among the candidates. His platform calls for a salary floor for public school teachers, tripling Title I federal education funding, boosting funding for special education (IDEA), and placing a moratorium on charter school growth. For the last several decades the unregulated growth of corporate charter schools has siphoned money from public schools, with little protection against fraud and little attention paid to equity or quality when it comes to educating students.
In addition to education issues, Sanders’ platform aligns with our values on a range of issues, including rebuilding the US labor movement and winning Medicare for All.
Bernie spoke at UTLA’s Leadership Conference in July, and he brought down the house with his defiant message about leading a movement for fundamental political and social change, including a strong, fully funded public education system. Sen. Sanders also signed a pledge to support Schools and Communities First and Our New Deal for Public Schools. He was the first major US politician to publicly support our 2019 strike, and he pushed for donations to our strike fund, leading to a cascade of influential support and an increase in the fund of more than $100,000.
LA educators are standing behind a candidate who has the electability to beat Trump. Sanders is leading in Democratic fundraising, is strong in swing states and among independent voters, beats Trump in head-to-head polls, and has major support in demographics that will vote heavily in 2020, including Latinx voters, Black women, and millennials. As the electorate becomes more diverse, defeating Trump will require a candidate who can motivate a diverse coalition of voters.
Sanders’ platform is not just a corrective to the destructive presidency of Donald Trump but also to failed policies of the past few decades that have starved public schools and left behind working-class and middle-class families while giving massive tax breaks to corporations and billionaires. Long-standing Democratic Party leaders have been a part of these problems.
“We must take the most anti-Trump stance that we can take,” said UTLA Vice President Gloria Martinez. “That includes endorsing Sen. Sanders. We see in Bernie the same fighting spirit that drove 60,000 people — teachers, students and parents — to the streets of LA in January during UTLA’s strike to invest in our students.”
The following is a timeline of UTLA’s endorsement.
- Sept. 11 – UTLA Board of Directors votes 35-1 to begin exploring an endorsement process for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- Sept. 18 – UTLA House of Representatives votes 135-46 to confirm the process to explore endorsing Sanders.
- Oct. 2 – School site leaders discuss and review endorsement materials.
- Oct. 2-Nov. 12 — School site leaders engage members on consideration of a UTLA endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- Nov. 13— Membership advisory up or down vote at 9 regional area meetings. 72.5% of voters, representing more than 500 LAUSD schools, say yes to endorsing Sanders.
- Nov. 14 — House of Representatives votes 80% to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders.
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
This is a bit off topic but is driven by my watching of the impeachment hearings. It dawned on me that I have heard very little from any of the candidates about foreign policy. I like Bernie’s stance on social policy, but other than knowing he has opposed military action several times, I have no idea what role he sees for the U.S. on the world stage. My curiosity is not limited to what Bernie thinks, but what other candidates have to say as well. I have been so impressed by the professionalism of career diplomats that have come forward. It is nice to know that someone puts country ahead of politics and that we actually have a nonpartisan infrastructure responsible for the day to day functioning of the government. If they are the “deep state,” I am all for it.
This a d—-ed good question, speduktr! I’ve had this on the brain during the whole Trump presidency as he’s sided w/Russia against Ukraine, Russia against US Intelligence services [& fed election laws], Turkey against Kurds, froze aid to Northern Triangle—and made noise against European NATO nations while making overtures to Kim Jung Un & Duterte—all of which are opposite longstanding US foreign & national security policy. Yet during his prez campaign he couched any hints of these leanings in terms of trade policy. I mean, h—l, even the war on Iraq as wrong-headed as it was undertaken w/congressional approval. The moves I listed were accomplished by firing/ starving the Dept of State & Justice & ignoring congress—squelching tentative dissenters w/open threats to back “primary-ing” them. Shows that exec branch has overweening power at present… which means we MUST vet candidates on foreign policy… & elect people down the line strong enough to right the ship & re-establish congressional power/ checks & balances.
bethree, you left out one of Trump’s worst transgressions. He has stacked the federal courts with judges who will reflect his far-right opinions for the rest of their lives. Trump has now appointed 1 of every 4 sitting federal judges in only three years, thanks to the swift approval process in the Senate engineered by Mitch McConnell.
I am donating to Mitch’s opponent in Kentucky, Amy McGrath.
But isn’t having a stacked federal judiciary where one out of four judges with lifetime appointments are now far right-wingers a very small price to pay when the IMPORTANT thing is that a “right wing warmonger” was prevented from being President?
It’s disappointing that foreign affairs meant so little to Republicans and independents when they rejected Hillary in favor of Trump.
We all know Bernie’s intelligence makes him capable of better decisions than Trump, who has a little mind.
I think foreign affairs is a big reason a lot of people didn’t vote for Hillary. Iraq. Libya. Honduras. Haiti. Syria. The woman is a right-wing warmonger. Trump pretended to be non-interventionist (and has been a lot less interventionist than his predecessors). People are tired of spending money and lives on endless wars.
I too am against “endless wars.” I do not believe that Hillary is/was “a rightwing warmonger.” As I have stated many times, I will vote for any Democrat over Trump because he is a threat to democracy and a stable, peaceful world order. He is inspiring people like Bolsonaro in Brazil, who is complicit in the destruction of the Amazon jungles and Erdogan in Turkey, who is toasted at the White House as his troops murder Syrian Kurds.
There are hundreds of reasons to vote against Trump. We have heard them over and over and there is no reason to repeat them. I just watched the testimony of the former Ambassador to Ukraine, who was ousted by Trump because Guiliani smeared her as “disloyal” to Trump. Trump wrote to the President of Ukraine and referred to Ambassador Yovanovich as “the woman.” He didn’t even know her name. He wants to turn the entire federal government into sycophants. “The man” is a wannabe dictator.
“The woman is a right-wing warmonger.”
Putin’s trolls want their propaganda back.
“Trump …has been a lot less interventionist than his predecessors.”
In other words, if Syria and Turkey want to bomb the crap out of little children and their families, we should let them.
New mantra for the left: Let them die if they aren’t Americans.
Hitler and Charles Lindbergh would have loved ya, dienne77. You must find FDR one of the worst and most evil “warmonger” in history. After all, if you weren’t Jewish, being a German under Hitler really isn’t that big of a deal.
Diane,
I agree with what you said but I fear that if Bernie Sanders makes the mistake of expressing any dislike of the actions of Erdogan or Bashar al-Assad — and especially if Bernie expresses any dislike of Putin, who they keep insisting has been victimized by the “warmongering” Democrats — we will see non-stop posts leading up to the election in which Bernie Sanders is intentionally mischaracterized as a “warmonger” whose election would get America into endless wars and that Trump at least would be better than he would be.
It’s frightening to see such propaganda. I’m sure Goebbels wishes he had those people working for him to help elect Lindbergh as President in the 1930s.
Where’s Dienne 77’s tag team guy? Last we heard from him, he was trying to resurrect his reputation here.
If Ambassador Taylor, Ambassador Yovanovich, and Mr. Kent are “the deep state,” then three cheers for the deep state.
They do their job no matter who is president, no matter which party is in office.
They face danger in their postings, and they avoid publicity.
They serve our country, not party or self.
If you want to know what Bernie’s foreign policy would look like, why not read what Bernie just wrote about the very important Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
https://jewishcurrents.org/how-to-fight-antisemitism/
That gives me an idea of how Bernie sees an important global issue and I heard him talk about working across the aisle with Lamar Alexander, so I know he would like to encourage bipartisan cooperation. I wasn’t, however, just directing my comment at Bernie but at all the candidates. While Trump doesn’t seem to have any policy other than that which advances his personal worth, I want to get a feel for how other candidates feel about our foreign policy with Latin America, African Nations, the Middle East and the Far East… In what situations would they feel military action is necessary? How would they build coalitions? What should our role be as a world leader? What is our responsibility as a world power?
We have many domestic concerns that hit much closer to home– jobs, healthcare, infrastructure, education, racism, environmental–the list goes on. I have a better feel for how candidates would address these and other domestic concerns.
Hooray for the UTLA! National teachers’ unions should take a cue from the thorough & democratic process that led to this endorsement.
may many more teachers’ unions — including the national unions — have the guts and intelligence to follow suit
Sanders should have the backing of all union members.
I love when he speaks to crowds (although given minimal to no television coverage) and addresses everyone as brothers and sisters. That’s when you feel the Bern.
Total agreement, Fred.
Now, let’s learn if Randi, in the primaries, will set adrift the CAP corporate candidates.
Wonderful news!!!
What makes Bernie sanders stand out for me is his commitment to the cause, outside of an election window. He has joined us on picket lines, galvanised his support base to fight with teachers and continues to show his unwavering support for unions. The man deserves it. It is the right of every union to endorse the candidate that best represents them. As a proud CTU member, our union has been feeling the Bern for quite some time.
I am proud of UTLA. Go Bernie! Hope to see teachers Feeling the Bern at the rally tomorrow.
Time to sing! https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=PtNGGTUtSxA With Bernie Sanders in SOLIDARITY.
Thanks for the link-a nice way to begin the morning.
On Sunday, Chuck Todd interviewed Sen. Sherrod Brown. It was disappointing that Todd didn’t ask Brown why he hired a scab TFA’er to advise him on education policy.
Chuck Todd is not known for asking tough questions. He probably has no idea what TFA is.
Todd’s style is macho and, in the right wing world of style over substance, that’s what’s important.
Let’s hope this is the first of many endorsements. He is by far the most honest of those running.
Bain Capital’s guys are on a roll. Deval Patrick announced he’s running for Prez. And, Mitt’s getting his Trust Act to reduce Social Security ready for fast track. Of course the prep is behind Congress’ closed doors.
Bernie Sanders will be our next president of the United States and will change the world for the better and make it a more compassionate habitable place to live her future generations. I’m a Gen X’r that would like to see a world for a free of billionaires.