P ear l , ▁ 9 8 % ▁of ▁U T LA ▁members ▁author ized ▁a ▁strike ▁over ▁numerous ▁disput es ▁and ▁a ▁failure ▁of ▁months ▁of ▁contract ▁negoti ations . ▁ ▁These ▁included ▁familiar ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁sal ary ▁increases , ▁class room ▁size ▁reduction ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁more ▁n urs es ▁and ▁li br ari ans . ▁ ▁However , ▁a ▁new ▁issue ▁also ▁pre domin ated ▁the ▁discuss ions ▁-- ▁i . e ., ▁authority ▁and ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁pro l ifer ation ▁of ▁char ter ▁schools . ▁▁▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁strike , ▁one ▁in ▁five ▁LA US D ▁students ▁attended ▁a ▁char ter ▁school , ▁si phon ing ▁an ▁estimated ▁$ 6 0 0 ▁million ▁dollars ▁a ▁year ▁from ▁the ▁finan cially ▁stra pped ▁school ▁system , ▁according ▁to ▁U T LA ▁which ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁mor ator ium ▁on ▁char ter ▁school ▁author izations , ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁school ▁priv at ization ▁and ▁robust ▁fund ing ▁for ▁public ▁education . ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁had ▁more ▁char ter ▁school ▁students ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁school ▁district , ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁anti - union ▁interests ▁and ▁billion aires , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Wal ton ▁he irs ▁to ▁the ▁Wal mart ▁fortune ▁and ▁former ▁New ▁York ▁Mayor ▁Michael ▁Blo om berg , ▁spent ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁dollars ▁to ▁elect ▁a ▁pro - char ter ▁majority ▁on ▁the ▁seven - member ▁school ▁board . ▁ ▁Fact - find ing ▁and ▁med iation ▁continued ▁for ▁several ▁months , ▁while ▁teachers