Talks continue as LA school strike enters third and final day

March 23, 2023

SEIU Local 99 and UTLA members and their allies gather outside LAUSD’s Banneker Career Transition Center to rally in favor of the worker union’s demands on March 23, 2023.

Union and district leaders in Los Angeles Unified continued to negotiate without reaching an agreement, leaving schools closed Thursday for a third — and what was expected to be the final — day of a service workers strike in the state’s largest school district.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass intervened Wednesday afternoon to jumpstart negotiations, and leaders from both sides said they were hopeful they could reach an agreement soon to end the strike by custodians, bus drivers and other essential workers. Teachers have walked out in support as well.

But without quick success in the talks, schools remained shut Thursday to the district’s 420,000 students.

Union leaders said workers would be back on the job Friday, regardless of the outcome of negotiations, but they did not rule out a second strike in the coming months if an agreement could not be reached. A second strike would be based on contract issues, rather than working conditions, which is the focus of the current strike.

“We are hopeful that with the leadership of Mayor Bass that we will be able to reach an agreement that leads to living wages and respect and increased staffing for our students in LAUSD,” Local 99 spokesperson Blanca Gallegos said Thursday. “(Union members) are going back to work tomorrow with their heads held high. … There is a new recognition from the school district and the entire city of the work they do.”

The district also expressed hope without saying how close a deal might be. “We continue to do everything possible to reach an agreement that honors the hard work of our employees, corrects historic inequities, maintains the financial stability of the district and brings students back to the classroom,” the district tweeted. “We are hopeful these talks continue and look forward to updating our school community on a resolution.”

Credit: Kate Sequeira / EdSource

SEIU Local 99 and UTLA members and their allies gather outside LAUSD’s Banneker Career Transition Center to rally in favor of the worker union’s demands on March 23, 2023.

The teachers union, which is also in contract negotiations with the district, joined members of Local 99 on the picket lines again Thursday morning for the third day in a row.

On Wednesday, striking workers braved the rain to rally, march, chant, beat on drums and blow whistles to garner support for their demands. Local 99, whose members earn a median salary of $25,000 annually, is asking for a 30% raise plus an additional $2 per hour for lower-paid workers, while the district offered a 23% raise plus a one-time 3% bonus for workers who were hired before 2020-21.

“I feel that this is a short-term loss for long-term gains,” said Maria Robledo, who teaches third grade at Liberty Boulevard Elementary in South Gate, adding that the strike is a sacrifice for everyone — parents, students and school staff alike.

Families scrambled again on Wednesday to secure child care and to focus their youngsters on homework assigned during the strike. The district opened dozens of child care centers throughout the city, but attendance was relatively sparse. On Tuesday, only 1,353 students showed up, likely because of the stormy weather. Those who did attend spent the day on school work, arts and crafts and sports.

The district also gave out more than 124,000 meals to students and families who rely on schools for food and other services.

On Wednesday, hundreds of striking union members gathered at the district’s Region East office in Lincoln Heights, where a surge of rain created a muddy, ankle-deep river. Special education assistant Jennifer Vivas said she hoped the union and district would reach an agreement soon, in part because of the disruption the strike has caused for families.

“Regardless of the outcome, it will better the schools, better our kids’ education,” said Vivas, who works at Pacific Boulevard Elementary in Huntington Park. “I hope that they understand, and they see a change.”

Isabel Barrientos, who attended the rally, said she hopes that the union’s demands will bring more staff to El Sereno Middle School in El Sereno where she works as a custodian. She’s determined to keep fighting for fair wages, she said.

“Hopefully it doesn’t keep going, but if it does, we’re ready,” she said.

Union workers, many of whom are also parents, said a few days’ inconvenience is worth the longer-term goal of higher wages.

At Liberty Boulevard Elementary, Francisco and Evelyn Ruiz dropped their son off a few minutes after the school’s child care center opened at 8 a.m. Both were on their way to nearby schools to participate in the strike.

“He liked it,” said Francisco Ruiz, who’s a high school teacher in the district.

At Saybrook Park in East Los Angeles, park aide Robert Castro handed out apples and Goldfish crackers to a few students who ran up to him as he stood near the door of the park’s recreation center, which served as one of the district’s child care centers.

“Thank you, mister,” a child called as he ran away. Most of the students who spent the day at the recreation center had left by late afternoon. He said more than 40 had shown, reflecting similar numbers to the day before.

“It came out of nowhere,” Castro said of the strike and the accommodations. “We didn’t know until they told us, but we made it work.”

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