LAUSD Staff to Go on Three-Day Strike, Disrupting Education for Over 400,000 Students
On Wednesday night, SEIU Local 99 and UTLA, two major labor unions representing Los Angeles Unified School District workers, announced their plans to go on a three-day strike starting on March 21st.
This decision was made after the district refused to negotiate and address their demands.
Over 30,000 school support staff, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, and special education assistants, will walk the picket line, demanding better wages and working conditions.
At a rally held on Wednesday afternoon, thousands of union workers, with the backing of the teachers union, protested unfair practices and demanded a 30% raise and a $2 per hour equity wage increase.
In response, the district has offered a 15% raise over time with 10% cash in hand, as well as expanded health care benefits for part-time workers and their families.
However, the union workers are determined to not back down and have declared their intention to strike.
The strike is expected to impact over 400,000 students in the district, causing disruptions to their education, safety, and access to food and nutrition.
The superintendent of LAUSD, Alberto Carvalho, has called the impending strike “destructive,” stating that it will lead to learning loss, deprivation of safety and security, and food insecurity for many students.
While the district has announced plans to provide some form of child care and food distribution during the strike, concerns remain about the impact on children who depend on school-provided meals.
This is the first time in recent history that there has been no back-and-forth negotiation between the district and the union workers, according to LAUSD’s school board president Jackie Goldberg.
While there is still a chance that negotiations may resume before the strike begins, the union workers remain determined to fight
