Strike by Los Angeles teachers enters fifth day amid talks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teachers picketed and rallied today as a strike against the giant Los Angeles Unified School District extended to a fifth day with a new round of contract negotiations underway.

Drums, whistles, shouts and honks from supportive motorists echoed through downtown as groups of teachers and backers walked to a rally that drew thousands to Grand Park near City Hall.

Negotiations between United Teachers Los Angeles and the district resumed before noon. The talks organized by Mayor Eric Garcetti's office began Thursday afternoon and didn't break until after midnight.

"Bargaining teams from UTLA and LAUSD had a productive day of contract negotiations," the mayor's office said in brief statement.

The mayor does not have authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District but has sought to help both sides reach an agreement.

Union President Alex Caputo-Pearl earlier tempered expectations for an immediate resolution, noting that bargaining had gone on for 21 months before the strike and key differences remained.

Clashes over pay, class sizes and support-staff levels in the district with 640,000 students led to its first strike in 30 years and prompted the staffing of classrooms with substitute teachers and administrators.

Parents and children have joined the protests despite heavy rain that drenched the city. Overall attendance fell to 83,900 students on Thursday.

With state funding dependent on attendance, student absences cost the district about $97 million over four days, the district said. At the same time, it doesn't have to spend about $10 million a day on teacher pay.