With no new talks, LA teacher strike all but inevitable

A strike by tens of thousands of teachers in Los Angeles, the nation's second-largest school district, is all but inevitable starting today after the two sides didn’t renew negotiations over the weekend.

Talks broke down Friday when the teachers' union rejected as "woefully inadequate" a new offer from the LA Unified School District.

With no new discussions scheduled, pickets are likely to begin at 7 this morning as teachers stand firm on sticking points including higher pay and smaller class sizes.

Schools will stay open if a walkout happens. The district, with 640,000 students, has hired hundreds of substitutes to replace teachers and others who leave for picket lines.

The union has said it was "irresponsible" to hire subs and called on parents to consider keeping students home or join marchers if a strike goes forward.