Wages are a driving factor behind a three-day strike that has shut down the entire Los Angeles school system and put a spotlight on the paltry pay of support staff that serves as the backbone of schools nationwide.
A strike that closed Los Angeles County Unified School District schools entered its second day with no publicly announced plans for LAUSD and union officials to return to the bargaining table.Bus drivers shuttle America's children to schools where cafeteria workers feed them and teacher aides assist students who need the most help.
Anderson works 36 hours as a special education aide in his school's science department. But he is also asked to fill in as a bus driver and a custodian. When a science teacher is absent, he fills in as a substitute, which pays an extra $10 per class. "I did that today. I got an extra $20." The NEA, the nation's largest teachers' union, last year released data that showed full-time school support staff earned an average salary of $32,800. Delaware had the highest salary for full-time K-12 support staff , while Idaho had the lowest , but salaries vary widely by state. They can also vary by metro area and even within school districts, depending on how long a person has been in a job.
Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union represents about 30,000 LAUSD teachers' aides, special education assistants, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff. The union says many live in poverty because of low pay or limited work hours while struggling with inflation and the high cost of housing. Support staff, including many who work part-time, earn about $25,000 a year, according to the union, which is asking for a 30% raise.
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