The Los Angeles Unified Teachers’ Union (SEIU Local 99) says a strike cannot be avoided in the worst possible way to keep schools open

If the three-day strike continues as planned, students will suffer, the superintendent said. He said the strike would make it “virtually impossible” to keep schools open in the district of more than 500,000 students.

“As LAUSD parents and workers, SEIU Local 99 members know a strike will be a sacrifice but the school district has pushed workers to take this action,” Arias said in a statement.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced schools would be canceled for students starting Tuesday after last-minute negotiations, which included new raise offers, failed.

The union wants to see more full-time work, respectful treatment, and increased staffing for improved student services.

The union got a boost from United Teachers Los Angeles, a union that represents about 30,000 teachers in the second-largest school district.

California law prohibits the school system from going into a bankruptcy position. We cannot drive the school system into a red position. If we were to acquiesce to all of the demands, that is where we would be, which is against the law.

“We are eagerly awaiting on a counter proposal and we are ready to put another compelling offer on the table to continue the dialogue,” Carvalho said. “We believe that a strike is avoidable and should be avoided, considering the consequences that would have in our community.”

“If the district doesn’t realize that our members are valuable… once they stop working, then nothing’s really gonna change,” said Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99.

“We need to reach a resolution that honors the work of our dedicated employees, while respecting the rights our children have to a quality education, meals and access to enriching school activities,” Carvalho said.

The district will provide assistance to families, including opening grab-and-go food sites and 154 schools that will provide student supervision, as well as 120 city-run sites at libraries, recreation centers and other locations.

The Los Angeles Zoo is also offering free admission for students due to the closures and its all-day zoo camp program for students in kindergarten through 5th grade added two free “extended care” hours per day.

The Los Angeles Unified School District SEIU: Superintendent Carvalho’s Strikes, Pay Increases, and Child Care Funds

The union leader understands the challenges families face when schools are closed for strikes. Many of the workers are school district parents, too.

“Families have been sacrificing for far too long on poverty wages. Students have been sacrificing for too long in school environments that are not clean, safe or supportive for all,” Arias said.

The move comes after more than a year of negotiations with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and its superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, over pay and health benefits.

“We understand the plight, the frustration and the realities faced by our workforce members,” Carvalho said last night. “We’re willing to work with them, but the way we find a solution is by having a partner at the table to actually negotiate possible results.”

The SEIU is a union for service employees. Representing traditional service employees like custodians and cafeteria workers, Local 99 also represents specialized positions such as special education assistants. The average salary of the members of the union is $25,000 per year with many of the employees working part time.

LAUSD is the second biggest school district in the country, with 420,000 students – the majority from families who live at or below the poverty line and depend on schools for far more than just classroom instruction.

District officials are working with the city and local volunteers to provide students with breakfasts and lunches, as well as to help families with child care for working parents during the planned three-day walkout.

The teachers are asking for a wage increase and a cap on class sizes. The district has not given a lot despite concerns over its finances.

The former Miami-Dade administrator who came to Los Angeles 13 months ago says the district is in a financial bubble. Enrollment is declining, it’s hard to keep teachers’ positions filled, and in a few years the padding of COVID relief money will be rolled back.

He says he is fighting to protect the district’s finances. The union leaders say they’re protecting their members who are often struggling to make ends meet even though their jobs keep LAUSD running.