After a union representing tens of thousands of workers went on strike, more than 400,000 pupils in the Los Angeles Unified School District are home from school.
After continuing contract negotiations stalled, 30,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, and paraprofessionals in the SEIU Local 99 union went on strike on Tuesday morning.
Los Angeles Education Strike Cancels School
The strike follows nearly a year of fruitless talks with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced on Monday that classes would be postponed beginning Tuesday due to the failure of last-minute discussions, which included additional salary offers.
Members of the Los Angeles School Support Workers Union have stated that they desire the following:
- A 30% wage increase, plus an extra $2 per hour over the next four years
- Extended working hours for part-time employees
On Monday, the Los Angeles Unified School District released the following offers:
- A 23% increase in recurring payments, with a 3% cash-in-hand incentive
- A minimum wage of $20 per hour
- Full healthcare coverage for those who work at least four hours per day.
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Workers Struggle To Feed Their Children
Union members say they appreciate the difficulties that families endure when schools are closed due to strikes. Many of the employees are also school district parents.
According to Max Arias, executive director of the local school support workers organization, the strike will assist alleviate the daily hardships of workers – and pupils.
The district will assist families by opening 24 grab-and-go food locations and utilizing 154 schools to provide student monitoring. Another 120 city-run sites in libraries, recreation centers, and other areas will assist in child supervision, according to Carvalho.
According to Carvalho, the superintendent, the school district has attempted to negotiate in good faith. If the three-day strike goes forward as planned, keeping schools open in the district of over 500,000 pupils will be “virtually impossible.”
However, the school employees union’s president stated that a strike may be the only way to achieve reform.
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