School workers strike in Los Angeles

By BENJAMIN YOUNT THE CHALKBOARD REVIEW

(The Center Square) — More than 500,000 students were out of class in the nation’s second largest school district Tuesday as cafeteria workers, custodians and other Los Angeles school workers went on strike after negotiations faltered Monday.

Members of SEIU Local 99, which represents school workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District, went on the picket line at 4:30 a.m. as the union seeks higher pay and more hours for part-time work as well as better working conditions, as reported by Chalkboard Review last week.

“Despite our invitation for a transparent, honest conversation that perhaps would result in a meaningful solution that would avoid a strike, we must formally announce that all schools across the LAUSD will be closed to students tomorrow,” tweeted Alberto Carvalho on Monday night.

United Teachers Los Angeles, which represents 30,000 teachers in the district, has asked its members not to cross the school workers’ picket lines. The teachers union is also in negotiations with the district.

On Monday, SEIU Local 99 said that it was prepared to enter into mediation with the district, but the union claims the district went public with the information before giving its bargaining team the ability to decide what to do.

“This is yet another example of the school district’s continued disrespect of school workers,” said Max Arias, the executive director of SEIU Local 99, in a news release. “We are ready to strike.”

“We want to be clear that we are not in negotiations with LAUSD,” Mr. Arias added. “We continue to be engaged in the impasse process with the state.”

The union has previously said it wants a 30% pay raise for workers as well as a $2 an hour “equity wage adjustment.” The district on Monday offered a 23% pay increase plus a 3% cash bonus as well as full health insurance benefits for those who work more than four hours a day, according to a report from CNN. SEIU Local 99 maintains that the district’s use of low-wage, parttime employees has caused labor shortages and that the average pay for school workers in the district is $25,000 a year.

LAUSD is offering student supervision at 154 schools and parks and recreation centers.

On its website, the district says students can use online resources to get homework during the strike. The district is also offering three days worth of “grab and go” style breakfast and lunches to students.

On Friday, the district filed for an injunction against the union, claiming that a strike would be unlawful. On Sunday, the California Public Employment Relations Board did not grant the request for injunctive relief.

Chalkboard Review provided this article to The Center Square, which in turn provided it to the News-Press.