State Council delegates gave a rousing CTA welcome to newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a former UTLA staffer.
"We did it," he said, thanking the teachers for working on his behalf and CTA for its independent expenditure television campaign. "It was your support that was such a pivotal reason for my success and my victory."
"As Assembly speaker, Villaraigosa stood with teachers and parents in our battle to reduce class sizes and improve school funding," said CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "He also led efforts to get state bond money to build new schools and repair run-down classrooms."
As the television spots said, "We need someone who will fight for public education and Los Angeles schools. As mayor, we know Antonio Villaraigosa will be there for our students."
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Villaraigosa and Durazo celebrate hotel workers' settlement. |
Basking in the moment, Villaraigosa added, "Our friendship and our common commitment to public schools and to our children has been steadfast and strong through the years."
Taking a jab at the governor, he added, "You can't say young people are a priority, that children are our future, and fail to fund public schools the way we have done here in California. You can't have great public schools and be so far behind in per-pupil funding as we are here in California."
While at the podium, the mayor-elect announced that he had been up all night brokering a contract agreement to end the hotel workers' strike and just barely avert a scheduled 5 a.m. lockout of employees. He introduced Maria Elena Durazo, the president of UNITE HERE Local 11, who gave teachers a hearty thank-you for their efforts to influence hotel owners by threatening to boycott affected hotels during the NEA Convention.
"Thousands of hotel workers are grateful to you," she said.
