Mariana Dale covers early childhood for the LAist and KPCC newsroom.
Mariana DaleParents and caregivers representing more than a half-dozen community organizing and advocacy groups held a press conference Thursday to express their support for the strike and urge the district to reach a deal with the unions.
This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting,Looming strike, budget deficit, and superintendent under federal investigation. What it could all mean for LAUSD's 400,000 students and staff Los Angeles Unified School District could face an open-ended strike if multiple labor deals are not made by April 14. Los Angeles Unified teachers, support staff and principals are days away from a strike that would likely shut down schools starting Tuesday. The unions, who represent about 68,000 employees collectively, say the walkout is a last resort after more than a year of negotiations over pay, benefits and school conditions. The strike would mark the first time three of the district’s most powerful unions— United Teachers Los Angeles, Service Employees International Union Local 99 and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles — collaborate on a strike. LAUSD is the country’s second-largest school district and provides education, meals and child care for about 400,000 students daily. Acting Superintendent Andres Chait said in March that LAUSD will continue to negotiate with the unions in hopes of reaching a deal. The unions say their demands will help members better afford the region’s high cost of living and provide a better experience for students.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.“ We have a responsibility to our community to provide a quality education to our students and to make sure our employees are compensated fairly and equitably,” Chait said in a press conference last month following the strike announcement. “But we also have a responsibility to be careful stewards of the financial resources that our taxpayers entrust to us.”“When you have three unions… who have all indicated that they would strike together it is exceedingly difficult, if not nearly impossible to schools open during that scenario,” Chait said in March.The striking unions represent the majority of the district’s 83,000 employees. UTLA has said the strike would be open ended, so it’s unclear how long the strike— if it happens— will last. shut down the district’s spring sports programthat it plans to distribute food, tech support and refer families to community organizations for child care. Updates about resources and labor negotiations will be posted toParents and caregivers representing more than a half-dozen community organizing and advocacy groups held a press conference Thursday morning to express their support for the strike and urge the district to reach a deal with the unions.“When they advocate for better pay, staffing and resources, they are advocating for our children's future,” said Esmeralda Rangel, whose younger siblings attend LAUSD schools. “When educators and staff are supported, our schools are stronger and our classrooms are better.” Carmel Levitan is a group moderator, and the parent of LAUSD students in Eagle Rock. She said there have been a lot of questions about whether there will be remote learning, food or child care available during the strike. “I do think there's a lot of anxiety,” Levitan said. “So we all just take a few days off work? Can we afford that? Do our jobs allow that? And so I do think the uncertainty is stressful and really harming a lot of families.”Elizabeth Hernandez plans to open her home, near a South L.A. middle school, to striking teachers, and said she'll provide snacks and bathroom access. “It's important for us as parents to support our teachers because at the end of the day, they are the ones that spend most of the days with our kids,” Hernandez said.What would it take to reach a deal? United Teachers Los Angeles, SEIU Local 99 and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles have been negotiating with the district over pay, benefits and additional support for students for more than a year. The members of each union voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the power to call a strike.UTLA’s bargaining team has met with the district more than a dozen times since negotiations began last February. The union declared an impasse in December, a legal step that triggers a “fact finding” intervention from a neutral mediator appointed by the state’s labor relations board. The union’s most recent bargaining session ended Wednesday night and another meeting is scheduled for Saturday. “While there was some constructive engagement, the district must do more to address critical issues like staffing, student mental health, and livable wages for educators,” the union wrote in a statement.Changes to the salary schedule so that newer teachers who complete professional development can earn increases more quickly.A 10% salary increase over three years and an agreement to “collaboratively adjust” the salary schedule.An agreement not to replace union jobs with Artificial Intelligence or use the technology to surveil students and employees. The fact-finding chair, Donald Raczka, was unable to determine whether the district could afford UTLA's proposal. “Due to the complexity of LAUSD’s budget, thoroughly examining these claims would be time-consuming and labor-intensive—tasks that go beyond the Chair’s current capacity given the available information,” Raczka wrote.“The failure of the Fact Finder to even attempt to figure out the finances is a disservice to the educators and students of LAUSD and to the fact-finding process itself,” wrote Brian McNamara, a UTLA director and fact finding panelist inA 30% wage increase over three years. LAUSD’s most recent offer includes: A 13% wage increase over three years.SEIU Local 99 also declared an impasse in December, but is at a different stage in the bargaining process than UTLA.The basis for SEIU’s strike vote is what the union says are more than a dozen unfair practice charges where members have been disciplined or lost hours as a result of participating in union activities.Maria Avalos is a supervision aide at Fernangeles Elementary School in Sun Valley. Avalos said she’s only assigned four hours of work a day and also cleans houses and sells tamales to support her daughter.A 10% wage increase over three years. “We don't have the necessary resources to really say we have safe schools, to really say that we're servicing students,” said Maria Nichols, president of AALA, during You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead . Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community. Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
Lausd Seiu Local 99 Teachers Strike Los Angeles Utla
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘The Boys’ Is Ending Next Month, but Jack Quaid Is Ready for What’s NextJoe Schmidt is the Executive Editor of Movies at Collider assisting the brilliant team of writers and editors. In addition to working with the editorial team, he helps assist leadership in managment duties.
Read more »
Made for the Moon: Houston company building next-generation spacewalk suits for next Artemis Moon missionsThe countdown to the moon doesn’t start on a launchpad. For the team at Axiom Space in Houston, it starts years before, at a workbench, stitch by stitch.
Read more »
LAUSD launches family resources website ahead of possible teachers' strikeLAUSD's website shows food distribution sites, mental health resources, child care options and tech support available during a possible teachers' strike next week.
Read more »
SEIU Local 99 says strike remains on; LAUSD, UTLA talks resume SaturdaySEIU Local 99 said it’s planned April 14 strike remains on and no additional bargaining sessions are scheduled, while LAUSD and teachers union UTLA are set to return to negotiations Saturday.
Read more »
'The wheels are falling off the bus.' Parents scrambling as LAUSD strike date nearsA looming LAUSD strike puts many working families in a bind, parents say.
Read more »
LAUSD strikeThe most important stories for you to know today
Read more »